Opinion ID: 2145408
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether the Trial Court Abused Its Discretion by Refusing to Order a Change of Venue.

Text: Noting the voluminous amount of pretrial publicity that this case received, Morgan argues that the trial court erred in not granting his motion for a change of venue. A district court's denial of a motion for a change of venue is reviewed for abuse of discretion. State v. Siemer, 454 N.W.2d 857, 860 (Iowa 1990). Morgan notes the volume of coverage that this case received. He offered forty newspaper articles from media markets throughout the state, including some discussing the Morgan case in the context of efforts by the Governor to obtain a legislative reinstatement of the death penalty. Morgan emphasizes that almost all jurors had been exposed to the media coverage and many were challenged for cause based on their opinions in this case. Sheer volume of coverage is not sufficient to mandate a change of venue. Morgan must show he was prejudiced thereby. Morgan may demonstrate either actual prejudice or that the publicity attending the case was so pervasive and inflammatory that prejudice must be presumed. State v. Wilson, 406 N.W.2d 442, 445 (Iowa 1987). We find that Morgan showed neither. First, Morgan offered no evidence of actual prejudice. Second, Morgan showed pervasiveness of coverage, but did not show that the coverage was inflammatory. Siemer, 454 N.W.2d at 860. When assessing the inflammatory nature of media coverage, we consider the following three factors: the nature, tone, and accuracy of the articles, their timing in relation to the trial, and the impact on the jury as revealed in voir dire. Id. The media coverage of Anna Marie's disappearance and death were generally accurate and objective. This child's murder had captivated the public. This, however, was due to the sordid nature of the crime, not morbid or sensationalistic treatment by the media. Several of the articles make no mention of Morgan as a suspect. Almost all of the articles appeared several months before the trial began. Cf. State v. Spargo, 364 N.W.2d 203, 208 (Iowa 1985) (articles appeared months before trial: no prejudice). Finally, all jurors who stated that they had formed strong opinions on the case were excluded. Only those who stated that they could set aside previously formed opinions were retained. Cf. Irvin v. Dowd, 366 U.S. 717, 723, 81 S.Ct. 1639, 1642, 6 L.Ed.2d 751, 756 (1961). We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to order a change of venue.