MARIETTA, Ga. -- The new venue for the Ross Harris hot car death trial will be in Brunswick, Ga. in Glynn County. Jury selection will begin on September 12, 2016.
Cobb County Court Administrator Tom Charron made the announcement Thursday morning at the Superior
Court Building in Marietta.
Justin Ross Harris, 35, is accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son, 22-month-old Cooper Harris, in a hot SUV to die in 2014. Cooper died after spending about seven hours in the SUV on June 18, 2014.
Judge Mary Staley agreed last month to move the trial from Cobb County to another Georgia county due to extensive publicity. The decision to move the trial came as jurors from Cobb County were being selected.
FULL VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT: Judge grants motion to move Ross Harris hot car death trial
The change of venue came after three weeks OF jury selection when Harris' defense team made a motion to move the trial.
Under Georgia law, "the judge shall transfer the case to any county that may be agreed upon by the prosecuting attorney and the defendant or the defense counsel". The judge has the final decision: "The judge has the discretion to reject any county agreed upon; if a county is not thus agreed upon, or if the judge, in the exercise of discretion, rejects a county agreed upon, the judge shall select such county."
Some of the logistics included in considering where to move a trial include everything from booking enough hotel rooms to paying overtime for small sheriff department staffs. 11Alive legal analyst Phill Holloway said "no matter what the costs are, they fall squarely on the shoulders of Cobb County taxpayers."
Change of venue history
Metro Atlanta has seen change of venue cases over the last two decades.
Lynn Turner was eventually convicted of killing her husband and boyfriend with antifreeze. Her 2004 trial for killing her husband Glenn Turner was moved from Cobb County to Houston County. Her 2007 trial for killing her boyfriend Randy Thompson was moved from Forsyth County to Whitfield County.
Former Sheriff Sydney Dorsey was convicted of ordering the murder of Derwin Brown. His 2002 trial was moved from DeKalb County to Whitfield County.
In 2007, Stacey Humphreys was found guilty in the murder of two Cobb Co. real estate agents. That trial was moved from Cobb County to Glynn County.
FULL COVERAGE | Ross Harris hot car death trial
