AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Attorneys representing an Austin Police officer facing a murder charge are seeking a change of venue, saying their client will be unable to get a fair trial in Travis County.
APD Officer Christopher Taylor, 31, is charged with murder after fatally shooting 42-year old Michael Ramos during a confrontation with police in southeast Austin in April 2020.
Taylor's trial is currently scheduled to get underway in October. It will be the second attempt to move the case to trial, after an earlier attempt in May ended in a mistrial due to issues with seating a jury.
Judge Dayna Blazey has said she expects the trial to last 3-4 weeks; there's no timeline on a ruling on the change of venue motion.
The 319-page filing from Taylor's counsel highlights extensive publicity surrounding Ramos' death, along with comments made by public officials in the wake of the shooting.
The filing includes a number of affidavits from prominent Austin attorneys, including former Travis County district attorney Margaret Moore, who was in office during the initial investigation into the Ramos shooting.
"It is my opinion that the media coverage has been pervasive, inflammatory and prejudicial to Mr. Taylor," Moore stated in an affidavit included in the filing. "A salient factor in forming that opinion is the repeated linkage by the media and members of the public of Mr. Taylor's actions to those of the officers convicted in the murder of George Floyd. Additionally, I am aware of the recent mistrial in the case because of the inability to seat a jury."
Moore's successor, Jose Garza, presented the case to a grand jury in 2021, which returned an indictment against Taylor in the case.
