Court Opinion

ID: 9472852
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:12:55.753285+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:11.404371
License: Public Domain

LAY, Chief Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The record amply demonstrates the defendants did not and could not receive a fair trial in the District of North Dakota. At the time of trial there existed in that district “so great a prejudice against the defendants] that [they could] not obtain a fair and impartial *1224trial at any place fixed by law for holding court in that district.” Fed.R.Crim.P. 21(a).
The issue on review of a district court’s ruling on a motion to change venue is whether the trial court has abused its discretion. Eg., Rizzo v. United States, 304 F.2d 810, 817 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 371 U.S. 890, 83 S.Ct. 188, 9 L.Ed.2d 123 (1962). The district court in the present case, however, failed to rule on the defendants’ venue change request. The usual deference to a district court’s determination that a change of venue was unnecessary is thus not warranted in this case.
Regardless of whether the district court ruled implicitly or merely denied de facto a change of venue, the majority’s analysis focuses incorrectly on constitutional principles. In federal court, a federal defendant’s right to an impartial jury is protected under our supervisory authority.
The Supreme Court has considered in several cases the question of whether a trial court denied a defendant his due process rights in refusing to grant a change of venue. See Murphy v. Florida, 421 U.S. 794, 95 S.Ct. 2031, 44 L.Ed.2d 589 (1975); Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600 (1966); Estes v. Texas, 381 U.S. 532, 85 S.Ct. 1628, 14 L.Ed.2d 543 (1965); Rideau v. Louisiana, 373 U.S. 723, 83 S.Ct. 1417, 10 L.Ed.2d 663 (1963); Irvin v. Dowd, 366 U.S. 717, 81 S.Ct. 1639, 6 L.Ed.2d 751 (1961). Each of these decisions, however, was a review of a state criminal prosecution. Because each defendant alleged a violation of his fourteenth amendment rights, the Court’s analysis was necessarily constitutional in scope. In determining whether a state criminal procedure is constitutionally defective, federal courts give great deference to the state tribunal’s evaluation. A federal court generally will not interfere unless the factual context and trial procedure were so egregious as to demonstrate an inherent denial of due process. The Supreme Court presumed such due process denials in the Sheppard, Estes, and Rideau cases. See also Murphy, 421 U.S. at 798-99, 95 S.Ct. at 2035.
A more stringent standard governs the review of a federal district court’s refusal to grant a change of venue under Fed.R. Crim.P. 21(a). Appellate evaluation of a denied change of venue request in a federal prosecution is based on “ ‘the exercise of [its] supervisory power to formulate and apply proper standards for enforcement of the criminal law in the federal courts,’ and not as a matter of constitutional compulsion.” Murphy, 421 U.S. at 797, 95 S.Ct. at 2035, quoting Marshall v. United States, 360 U.S. 310, 313, 79 S.Ct. 1171, 1173, 3 L.Ed.2d 1250 (1959). Cf. Marshall, 360 U.S. 310, 79 S.Ct. 1171 (reversing, in the exercise of its supervisory power, defendant’s federal criminal conviction where jurors were exposed to information detailing defendant’s previous convictions). As the Supreme Court recognized in Murphy, criteria developed under federal supervisory powers to evaluate the fairness of a defendant’s trial do not apply to the due process review of state criminal trial procedures. See Murphy, 421 U.S. at 798, 95 S.Ct. at 2035.1
Under the more protective federal standard, “jurors’ assurances that they could *1225maintain impartiality in spite of the news artieles[,]” Murphy v. Florida, 421 U.S. 794, 797, 95 S.Ct. 2031, 2035, 44 L.Ed.2d 589 (1975), do not, alone, answer a federal defendant’s allegation that he or she could not have obtained a fair trial in a particular district. Rather, venirepersons’ exposure to “information with a high potential for prejudice,” id., in combination with other factors discussed below, may justify a new trial or reversal of a defendant’s conviction. This test is not a subjective evaluation by either the trial or the appellate court. The determination of potential prejudice under federal supervisory powers is an objective appraisal of many factors — not merely a post hoc analysis of the voir dire examinations.
Although Fed.R.Crim.P. 21(a) does not provide clear guidelines for evaluating prejudice in a federal prosecution, certainly the Rule presumes prejudice in extreme cases where “the totality of circumstances [indicates] that petitioner’s trial was not fundamentally fair.” Murphy, 421 U.S. at 799, 95 S.Ct. at 2036; Cf. Marshall v. United States, 360 U.S. 310, 311-12, 79 S.Ct. 1171, 1172, 3 L.Ed.2d 1250 (1959) (using its supervisory power to grant a new trial where jurors were exposed to news articles containing information previously ruled prejudicial and inadmissible). The majority, however, limits its evaluation of juror prejudice to the voir dire examinations and the district court’s admonitions of fairness to the prospective jurors.2 Where heightened emotions related to the crime pervade the general community, voir dire evidence of impartiality is not a sufficient guarantee of a fair trial. See Murphy, 421 U.S. at 799, 95 S.Ct. at 2035. Given the sensational character of the facts of this ease, the jurors’ indications that they could act as neutral fact finders are not an adequate assurance that the defendants Faul, Kahl, and Broer received a fair trial in the District of North Dakota. As the First Circuit Court of Appeals observed in Delaney v. United States, 199 F.2d 107, 112-13 (1st Cir.1952):
One cannot assume that the average jur- or is so endowed with a sense of detachment, so clear in his introspective perception of his own mental processes, that he may confidently exclude even the unconscious influence of his preconceptions as to probable guilt, engendered by a pervasive pre-trial publicity.
Review of the voir dire examination is but one factor in a review of a district court’s denial of a motion for change of venue. Other factors should also be considered, such as the extent of circulation of publicity concerning the event in the community, the severity and sensationalism of the offense, the familiarity of the jurors with the individuals involved, the length of time between the publicity and the trial, the prospective jurors’ exposure to the publicity, the connection of government officials with the release of the publicity, and the character and size of the district from which jurors will be selected.3 Applying *1226these considerations to the circumstances that led to the prosecutions of defendants Faul, Kahl, and Broer, I find it impossible to conclude that the defendants could have received a fair trial in the District of North Dakota.
The deaths that occurred during the February 13,1983, confrontation were needless and tragic.4 Outpourings of sympathy for the losses suffered by the families of the deceased Marshals came from across the nation. The issue in this case, however, is whether the living defendants, Scott Faul, age 29, Yorie Von Kahl, the 23 year-old son of Gordon, and 43 year-old David Broer received a fair and impartial trial. This question requires a recounting of the historical facts that led Gordon Kahl, his family, and followers to the bloody February 13 gun battle.
Gordon Kahl was a “tax protester” and a member of an extremist organization known as the Posse Comitatus. Kahl was convicted in 1977 in the federal district court for the Western District of Texas on two counts for failure to file income taxes. Kahl served a one-year sentence in Leavenworth Federal Prison and was placed on probation for five years. After serving his sentence, Kahl apparently returned to his North Dakota farm in 1979. In 1980, Kahl was summoned to appear in federal court on a charge that he had violated his probation in failing to file required monthly probation reports. In March of 1981, the United States Marshal for the District of North Dakota received a parole warrant from a district of Texas indicating that Kahl was in violation of his parole. After learning from Texas authorities that Kahl could be dangerous, the Marshal arranged a meeting with Kahl to attempt to resolve the matter peacefully.5 The Marshal testified that he did not attempt to arrest Kahl at this “meeting of the minds.” The meeting did not convince Kahl to submit voluntarily to the Marshal.6
On February 13, 1983, Gordon Kahl, the three defendants, and others were peacefully assembled at the Medina Medical Clinic in Medina, North Dakota. The group noticed that they were under surveillance. Scott Faul became uneasy, because he had information that an all points bulletin (APB) had been issued on his car. This APB was later determined to be an attempt to locate a car believed to have been used by Gordon Kahl. The group left the Clinic in separate cars, and soon encountered a roadblock created by unmarked police vehicles. When the defendants attempted to turn around in a driveway, they were blocked by a Ram Charger. Faul testified *1227on direct examination that he did not recognize either the truck blocking his car as a police vehicle or the persons in the truck as police officers. Faul further testified “[s]omeone started screaming at us and the man that had the shotgun pointing at me yelled, ‘your [sic] going to die,’ and I was waiting and my head was pounding kind of like I could feel every heart beat and I thought everyone [sic] would be my last one.” Transcript of Proceedings, Volume XIII at 175-76. Yorie Kahl gave similar testimony. Faul denied connecting the armed barricade with the outstanding warrant on Gordon Kahl. The gunfire began shortly thereafter.
From February 14, 1983, to March 29, 1983, the Fargo Forum, circulation 56,500, printed 68 news stories and 22 pictures related to the criminal matter in issue. Approximately one-third of these articles and pictures were on the front page. Television and radio coverage was extensive. Descriptions of Gordon Kahl’s fanaticism, the violent and unique nature of the crime, and sympathy for the dead United States Marshals created feelings of hostility against the defendants. Marshal Muir was one of the most respected law enforcement officers in the area. Deputy Marshal Cheshire was also well-liked and respected. According to two news articles, a total of over 1100 people attended the funeral services of the Marshals. The cold-blooded killing of Cheshire heightened the agitation, not only in the small peace-loving farm community, but throughout the state. The Governor of North Dakota directed that all state, county, and local flags be flown at half-mast in remembrance of the two deceased Marshals. Funeral eulogies and editorials condemning the killings and paying tribute to Muir and Cheshire were printed in the district’s largest selling newspaper. Anger and shock thus spread across the entire District of North Dakota.
Much of the publicity linked the defendants with Gordon Kahl’s fanaticism and ruthlessness. Many news articles focused on Gordon Kahl’s association with the radical Posse Comitatus, and left an impression that all the defendants were involved with the Posse Comitatus. Pre-trial Fargo Forum articles included in the record clearly demonstrate the media-created connection between the defendants and Gordon Kahl:
2/14/83: “Two U.S. marshals were killed * * * while trying to arrest a probation violator [sic]. * * * Gordon Kahl * * *. Police said they had arrested Kahl’s son, Yorie * *
2/15/83: “[E]motionally charged meeting of civil liberty advocates * * * some members * * * headed into a shootout * * *. One of the fugitives * * * Scott Faul. * * Gordon Kahl * * * the other fugitive is known to have headed more formally organized posses * * *. Broer * * * drove away from the scene * *
2/15/83: “[H]unt for fugitives. * * * Gordon Kahl * * * a tax protestor [sic] and parole violator, and * * * Scott W. Faul. * * * Kahl’s 23-year-old son, Yorivon, also is in government custody. * * * [A] known enclave for the tax protestor [sic] group that Kahl and the others are presumed to be members.”
2/15/83: “[A] violent end to a trial that had led them astray of the law before, mainly because of their unconventional views about taxes. Both Gordon Kahl, 63, and Scott Faul, 29, have been found guilty of tax evasion. Acquaintances said Kahl and Faul threatened to turn violent * * *."
2/15/83: “‘They’re still shooting out here... We need help’ * * * Yorie Kahl, 23, who had bullet wounds in the stomach and arm * * * ‘How can this happen in little Medina, North Dakota?’ * * *."
2/16/83: “An assault * * * by about 100 heavily-armed law enforcement officers * * to find 63-year-old fugitive Gordon Kahl * * *. [J]ust hours after another suspect in the slayings, Scott W. Faul * * * surrendered to authorities. * * * The one suspect not being held in the jail is Kahl’s 23-year-old son Yorivon, who was wounded
2/16/83: “Kahl house in shambles after search * * * Kahl is wanted in connection with a roadblock shootout with government *1228officers * * * Kahl’s son Yori, 23, [was] wounded * *
2/16/83: “Shootout said to resemble TV gun battle * * * [a local law enforcement officer] Kapp observed a car known to be driven by Gordon Kahl * * *. [The officers] spotted a ear belonging to David Broer * * * ‘The first shot fired, [stated the affidavit of one officer] was from Yori-von Kahl, which appeared to have hit Deputy U.S. Marshal Chesire.’ * * * Faul * * * assisted Yorivon Kahl into Schnable’s squad car * *
2/16/83: “Law enforcement officers, equipped with an armored personnel carrier and automatic weapons, were preparing to make a sweep of the Kahl farm to determine if the 63-year-old fugitive wanted in the slayings of two U.S. marshals was hiding somewhere on the property. * * * Yori Kahl, 23, suffered two bullet wounds in the abdomen in the shootout * *
2/17/83: “Slain U.S. law officer eulogized.”
2/17/83: “Sources say Kahl takes blame in letter * * * Suspects being held * * * are * * * David R. Broer * * *. Kahl’s son, Yorivon * * * remains under armed guard at the Jamestown hospital. The 63-year-old Kahl, who has been characterized as a ‘fanatic’ antitax protestor [sic] * * * [T]he letter surfaced with Scott W. Faul * * * another suspect in the slayings * * * Kahl * * * has been described as being a member of a paramilitary group called Posse Comitatus * *
2/16/83: “Mrs. Kahl, wife of Gordon Kahl, the remaining fugitive among six people charged with the deaths of two federal marshals, broke into tears when she referred to her 23-year-old son, Yorivon, who was wounded in the incident.”
2/18/83: “Two lawmen are dead and others in the Medina, N.D., shootout lie in hospitals, some seriously wounded. The region and the nation are in shock over what happened last Sunday * * * Who would have thought that an attempt to serve a warrant on a man wanted for probation violation in a federal tax case could result in such havoc.” {Forum editorial).
2/18/83: “Dozens of heavily-armed law enforcement officers swept into Ashley, N.D., Thursday morning in another futile search for fugitive Gordon Kahl * * * Kahl was active in a group called Posse Comitatus * * * The wounded - suspect, 23-year-old Yorivon Kahl, Gordon Kahl’s son, was removed from the critical list * *
2/19/83: “Search for shootings’ fugitive continues * * * Five people with Kahl when the shootings occured, including his wife and son, have been arrested.”
2/19/83: “Hearing for five suspects in shooting tentatively set * * * The five suspects include fugitive Gordon Kahl’s * * 23-year-old son Yorivon * * * Scott W. Faul * * * and David R. Broer * * * A sixth suspect, Gordon Kahl * * * remains at large * *
2/20/83: “Kahl has claimed to be a member of the paramilitary tax-protest group, Posse Comitatus * * * Five people with Kahl, including Yorivon * * * were arrested on murder charges. The other three [include] Scott Faul * * * and David Broer * * * >>
2/21/83: “The task of finding fugitive Gordon Kahl, a tax protester accused in the slayings of two U.S. marshals, has settled into routine investigative work * * * Kahl has been hunted since a brief gunbattle near Medina following a meeting of people sharing similar beliefs as Kahl, * * * David Broer and Faul have been charged with murder.”
2/22/83: “Kahl, a tax protester and probation violator, is the subject of a search in several western and midwestern states * *. Five other people are in custody in connection with the slayings, including * * * his critically wounded son, Yorivon Kahl * * * David Broer " * * and Scott Faul * * *.”
2/23/83: “Faul accused of ‘executing’ deputy marshal * * * during a 15-second gun battle with tax protester Gordon Kahl and five other suspects * *
2/23/83: “Law enforcement officers found themselves at a tactical disadvantage just *1229prior to the shootout on Feb. 13, near Medina, N.D., with tax protester Gordon Kahl and five other suspects. * * * Reardon said Faul then walked over to the vehicle where Cheshire lay wounded and upon reaching it, fired two shots at Cheshire.”
2/24/83: “Yorie Kahl formally charged in Jamestown hospital room * * * Kahl is the son of fugitive tax protester Gordon Kahl * * * [Preliminary hearings for four other defendants * * * [including] Scott Faul * * * and David Broer * 11 *.”
2/24/83: “Kahl, whom federal law enforcement officers have identified as a key figure in the formation of posse units in central North Dakota, is being sought for the slaying of two U.S. marshals during a Feb. 13 shootout near Medina, N.D.”
2/28/83: “Manhunt for fugitive Kahl enters third week * * * His 23-year-old son Yorie is hospitalized * * * and awaits a preliminary hearing on a murder charge. Four persons are in jail *' * *.”
3/1/83: “[N]o new developments in the search for fugitive Gordon Kahl * * * Being held without bond are Scott Faul, 29, and David Broer * * *. Gordon Kahl’s 23-year-old son, Yorivon, remains under protective custody * *
3/2/83: “Yori Kahl moved to Clay County jail * * * Kahl is the son of fugitive Gordon Kahl, 63, a tax protester from Hea-ton, N.D. Gordon Kahl still is being sought by federal and state authorities.”
3/3/83: “Court delays hearing for Yori Kahl * * * Kahl, 23, is the son of fugitive tax protester Gordon Kahl * * * The search for Gordon Kahl is in its third week. The U.S. Marshal Service has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.”
date *: “Details of alleged Kahl letter revealed * 11 * Kahl also praised the actions of his 23-year-old son Yorie Yon Kahl and Scott Faul, during the gun battle.”
3/10/83: “Yorie Von Kahl, admitted he may have fired the first shot in the gun battle between tax protesters and law enforcement officers on Feb. 13 * * * Kahl, the son of fugitive Gordon Kahl * * * Two others facing the murder charges * * are Scott Faul, * * * and David Broer * * Kahl’s father also has been charged with murder and remains the subject of an intensive manhunt.”
3/12/83: “Grand jury indicts Kahl, five others * * * The 11-count indictment charges Kahl, 63, his son Yorie Von, 23, and Scott Faul, 29, with the murders * * * David Broer, 43, on lessor [sic] charges * * * )>
3/13/83: “One month after a shootout that left two U.S. marshals dead, tax protester Gordon Kahl is still at large, and investigators blame his freedom on factors including sympathy for the 63-year-old fugitive. Kahl and five other people were indicted Friday * * * Of the five indicted, only Kahl * * * is still at large.”
3/15/83: “Medina shooting suspects arraigned * * * Yorie Von Kahl * * * Scott Faul * * * and David Broer * * * A sixth suspect, Gordon Kahl, * * * also has been charged with murder. He remains the subject of an intense manhunt * * *.”
3/19/83: “A federal judge in Texas had issued a warrant for Kahl’s arrest in March 1981, and it was that warrant marshals unsuccessfully attempted to serve on Kahl nearly two years later. Instead of an arrest, a 15-second gunfight erupted, leaving two marshals dead and four others, including Kahl’s 23-year-old son, Yorie Von Kahl, wounded.”
3/19/83: “Both Faul and the younger Kahl were arrested shortly after the incident and have been charged with murder. The elder Kahl also faces murder charges but remains a fugitive.”
3/24/83: “Description of [Gordon] Kahl’s car released * * * Three others have also been charged with murder in the slayings of U.S. marshals] * * * They were cut down by bullets as they tried to serve an arrest warrant on Kahl * *
3/26/83: “Radio conversations transcribed by authorities have left a chilling record of the minutes preceeding the Feb. 13 shootout * * * The officers were trying to arrest fugitive Gordon Kahl * * * Kahl’s ve-*1230hiele was spotted outside the Medina Medical Clinic, where an informal group of so-called ‘constitutional activists’ was meeting * * * Kahl, 63, his son Yorie, 23, and Faul, 29, all of Heaton, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of murder.”
3/26/83: “Judge asked [by prosecutor] to bar some subjects at shootout trial * * * Evidence concerning membership in anti-government, anti-tax or anti-law enforcement groups, such as Posse Comitatus * * by Gordon Kahl or any other defendants. * * * [Yorie] Kahl and Faul have been charged with the murders of [Cheshire and Muir] * * * The three other defendants who have been charged with lesser offenses [include] * * * David Broer * * * A sixth suspect, who also is facing murder charges, Gordon Kahl * * * remains a fugitive. * * * [The prosecutor] acknowledged he may be premature in anticipating what evidence the defendants will attempt to offer at the trial. But he noted that several of the defendants have been portrayed in news media accounts as being tax protesters and members of vocally anti-government and anti-tax groups such as Posse Comitatus * * * In particular, [he] noted a 16-page statement purportedly written by Gordon Kahl in which Kahl claims a religious right to resist arrest for any tax-related offenses. ‘* * * [P]ublic news stories indicate that perhaps several of the other defendants may share at least some of Gordon Kahl's views,' * *
3/27/83: “Posse leader says ‘task force’ investigating shootout coverup * * * Although Kahl is still at large, federal authorities have arrested five others in the case.”
The origin of and responsibility for the February 13 armed confrontation was a significant issue in the case.7 Although reasonable jurors could and did find that Faul, Kahl, and Broer were guilty of second degree murder, assault, and conspiracy, the evidence was not overwhelming. I accept the factual findings of the jury. I believe, however, that those findings were tainted by prejudice that prevented the defendants from receiving a fair trial in the emotion-charged District of North Dakota.
The majority admits the news coverage was widespread but characterizes the media treatment as “largely factual in nature.” This ignores the totality of circumstances. The emotionalism running through this rural district caused even “factual” reporting to fan the flames of the community’s shock and anger. In this case the violence of the crime, the small town character of the community, and the connection made between all of the defendants and extremist protest groups should have been considered in the evaluation of whether the defendants received a fair trial.8 As the American Bar Association Project on Standards for Criminal Justice observed:
There are * * * difficulties with [a court denying a motion for change of venue *1231where a jury meets prevailing standards of impartiality]. [M]any existing standards of acceptability tolerate considerable knowledge of the case and even an opinion on the merits on the part of the prospective juror. And even under a more restrictive standard, there will remain the problem of obtaining accurate answers on voir dire — is the juror consciously or subconsciously harboring prejudice against the accused resulting from widespread news coverage in the community? Thus if change of venue * * * [is] to be of value, [it] should not turn on the results of the voir dire; rather [it] should constitute [an] independent [remedy] designed to assure fair trial when news coverage has raised substantial doubts about the effectiveness of the voir dire standing alone.
American Bar Association Project on Standards for Criminal Justice, Standards Relating to Fair Trial and Free Press 127 (1968).
“Substantial doubts” have been raised about the effectiveness of the voir dire examinations as a barometer of jury impartiality in this case. Under any standard of review, the district court wrongly failed to grant the defendants’ request for a change of venue. In the exercise of this court’s supervisory powers, the defendants’ convictions should be vacated and a new trial should be granted in a district remote from that of North Dakota.

. See also Murphy v. Florida, 421 U.S. 794, 803-04, 95 S.Ct. 2031, 2037-38, 44 L.Ed.2d 589 (1975) (Burger, C.J., concurring) ("Although I would not hesitate to reverse petitioner’s conviction in the exercise of our supervisory powers, were this a federal case, I agree with the Court that the circumstances of petitioner's trial did not rise to the level of a violation of the Due Process Clause * * *.”); United States v. Provenzano, 620 F.2d 985, 995-96 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 877, 101 S.Ct. 267, 66 L.Ed.2d 129 (1980); United States v. Haldeman, 559 F.2d 31, 145-50 (D.C.Cir.1976) (MacKinnon, J., dissenting), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 933, 97 S.Ct. 2641, 53 L.Ed.2d 250, reh’g denied, 433 U.S. 916, 97 S.Ct. 2992, 53 L.Ed.2d 1103 (1977); cf. Rideau v. Lousiana, 373 U.S. 723, 728, 83 S.Ct. 1417, 1420 (Clark, J., dissenting) (“[I]f this case arose in a federal court, over which we exercise supervisory powers, I would vote to reverse the judgment before us. * * * It goes without saying, however, that there is a very significant difference between matters within the scope of our supervisory power and matters which reach the level of constitutional dimension.”) (citations omitted).

. Contrary to the majority’s method of evaluation, the voir dire examination is not a factor of greater weight than other considerations. Indeed, factors such as community size and extent of publicity may reveal the unreliability of voir dire testimony. See American Bar Association Project on Standards for Criminal Justice, Standards Relating to Fair Trial and Free Press 127 (1968).

. State courts considering motions for changes of venue employ similar factors. Voir dire results are not the sole element in an analysis of the existence of potential juror prejudice. In Houle v. N.D. Dist. Court, Burleigh County, S. Central Judicial Dist., 293 N.W.2d 872, 873 (N.D. 1980) (citations omitted), the Supreme Court of North Dakota stated:
Thus, the ultimate question to be decided by the court is whether or not it is possible to select a fair and impartial jury. The explanatory notes to Rule 21, N.D.R.Crim.P., list four factors to be considered by the Court in determining whether or not pretrial publicity renders it impossible to select a fair and impartial jury: (1) whether or not the publicity was recent, widespread, and highly damaging to the defendant; (2) whether or not the prosecution was responsible for the objectionable material, or if it emanated from independent sources; (3) whether or not an inconvenience to the prosecution and the administration of justice will result from a change of venue or continuance; and (4) whether or not a substantially better panel can be sworn at another time or place.
*1226This Court recently added four more factors to assist in judicial determinations of whether or not pretrial publicity warrants a change of venue. These additional considerations are: (1) the nature and gravity of the offense; (2) the size of the community; (3) the status of the defendant in the community; and (4) the popularity and prominence of the victim.
See also State v. Engel, 289 N.W.2d 204, 206 (N.D.1980); State v. Fallis, 205 Neb. 465, 288 N.W.2d 281, 284 (1980); Olson v. N.D. Dist. Court, Richland County, Third Judicial Dist., 271 N.W.2d 574, 579-80 (N.D.1978); cf. State v. Thompson, 266 Minn. 385, 123 N.W.2d 378, 380 (1963) (per curiam) quoting State ex rel Warner v. Dist. Court, 156 Minn. 394, 194 N.W. 876, 878 (1923) ('“... (sic) It is not necessary that * * * the ends of justice require the change. It is sufficient that they would be “promoted."’”) (emphasis in original). The same factors should be considered in evaluating venue change motions under our federal supervisory powers. Cf. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Commodity Credit Corp., 474 F.2d 192, 198 (5th Cir.1973) ("For guides to the ‘law of independent federal judicial decision,’ * * * we look principally to federal decisions in nondiversity cases, but without blinders to persuasive analogies from state law.”) (citation omitted).

. The violence and killings did not end on February 13, 1983. Gordon Kahl and a local law enforcement officer were killed a few months later in another armed confrontation in Arkansas. See United States v. Udey, 748 F.2d 1231 (8th Cir. 1984).

. The Marshal also sought out Kahl at a church meeting, but, deciding that the "circumstances were not [right],” did not attempt to arrest Kahl.

. Deputy United States Marshal Harold C. Warren testified that Marshal Muir told him that Muir had been instructed by his superiors in Washington, D.C. to cease attempting to apprehend Gordon Kahl. Kahl’s minor violation was not deemed worth the expense and time necessary to execute successfully the warrant for his arrest.

 Indicates the date of the article was not found in the record.

. Two witnesses, a husband and wife who drove through Medina on February 13, testified that a police officer pulled them over and told them "there was going to be a shoot-out and this time the police were in the wrong.” Transcript of Proceedings, Volume XIII, at 66, 85. Another witness, a local Medina man who was near the scene of the shootout, verified that a law officer told him, "there is a tax evader up there and now they are going to shoot him." Transcript of Proceedings, Volume IX, at 212-13.

. As a factor in our supervisory review of the district court's denial of the defendants’ motion for change of venue, an examination of the voir dire testimony reveals the impact of the pre-trial publicity concerning this case. Explaining why he had followed closely the news reports of the Medina incident, one excused venireperson testified:
Well, you know, you hear about this in other states and, but North Dakota it’s unusual and I just couldn’t believe something like that would happen.
Transcript of Proceedings, Vol. II, at 125. A second voir dire examination, typical of the testimony of those excused, further demonstrates the influence of the extensive media coverage:
Q: Is there anything about the report of these cases, this case, that caused you to have a special interest in it and thereby to follow news reports relating to it?
A: It was big news, crime against the federal agent.
Q: You considered it to be big news and as such, and because of the nature of the incident, it is something that—
A: Yes.
Q: —caused you to follow the reports relating to it?
*1231A: Yes.
Q: Has anything that you have heard or read about this case in following these reports caused you to form an opinion as to the innocence or guilt of any of the defendants in the case?
******
A: Yes, sir. It’s a very strong opinion.
Q: You feel if you were selected as a juror in the case it would be very difficult for you to set aside or disregard the opinion that you have formed?
A: Yes, sir.
Id. at 171-72.
Each of the chosen jurors also was exposed to the extensive news coverage. Several of the jurors actually subscribed to the Forum. One of the selected jurors admitted that at an earlier date his "mind [was] pretty well set,” id., at 91, although he did not claim to have any opinion at the time of the voir dire examination. Another selected juror also testified that he had formed an opinion, albeit "nothing that I would consider a strong opinion." Transcript of Proceeding, Vol. III, at 165.
The majority's statement that only 27% of the jurors attributed their partiality to media coverage is misleading. The majority admits that of the 114 original venirepersons, twenty-eight were excused before voir dire on the basis of hardship. Another venireperson was excused for hardship later in the proceeding and four others were never considered. Seventy-eight prospective jurors actually underwent voir dire. Thirty-nine, or one-half, were excused as potentially partial due to pretrial publicity or knowledge of persons involved in the prosecution. This statistic should be a factor considered in an evaluation of defendants’ request for a change of venue. Indeed, even if the analysis was limited to a review of the voir dire examinations, a 50% partiality rate sufficiently demonstrated the need for a change of venue in this case.