Bent wants trial moved to Taos County

PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE MOVED FORWARD ONE WEEK
Updated @ 11:30am PST, 8/8/08))

In her Amended Motion for Change of Venue filed at 11:47am MST today, Wayne Bent’s attorney, Sarah M. Montoya, has asked that her client’s trial be moved to Taos County:

Defendant Wayne Bent, through his attorney, moves the Court to change the venue of this case to Taos County, where publicity will not taint the trial of the above entitled matter.

***

 

( August 8 ) A pre-trial conference in the state of New Mexico’s child sex crimes case against church leader Wayne Bent (aka Michael Travesser) has been moved forward one week.

According to an Order to Vacate and Reset Hearing signed by Judge Gerald E. Baca and filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court late Thursday afternoon, the court date is now scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 at 2:30pm.

The hearing had previously been scheduled for August 19.

A pretrial conference may be conducted for several reasons. *Pretrial conferences may be held to:

(1) expedite disposition of the case,

(2) help the court establish managerial control over the case,

(3) discourage wasteful pretrial activities,

(4) improve the quality of the trial with thorough preparation, and

(5) facilitate a settlement of the case.

Beyond90Seconds.com has also learned that Bent feels he can’t get a fair trial in Union and Colfax Counties.  A Motion for Change of Venue filed by his lawyer August 1, states:

As grounds for this motion, Defendant shows to the court that there has been substantial pretrial publicity in Union and Colfax Counties, regarding the issues in this case and it is the belief of this defendant that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to select a fair and impartial jury to try this case in either Union or Colfax Counties and therefore that this defendant cannot obtain a fair trial in these counties due to pretrial publicity.

 

 

(*source: answers.com)

(Read the Beyond90Seconds.com archives on the Wayne Bent case here.)