AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- A Travis County judge has denied a motion seeking a change of venue for the murder trial of an Austin Police officer.
APD Officer Christopher Taylor is facing a murder charge in the death of Michael Ramos, stemming from an officer-involved shooting in April 2020.
Taylor's defense attorneys filed the motion in July, seeking to move the trial due to media coverage impacting the ability for an impartial jury to be selected.
Judge Dayna Blazey heard arguments from both sides during a hearing Thursday, before denying the motion Friday afternoon.
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Jury selection is now set to begin in the trial on Oct. 16. The new trial schedule comes after an aborted attempt to seat a jury in the trial back in May, prompting a mistrial to be declared.
Defense attorneys also highlighted those issues in their motion, including allegations of flyers being placed on the vehicles of prospective jurors.
Blazey has said she expects the trial to last 3-4 weeks.
Taylor remains on administrative leave from the department.