Change of Venue Granted in Jeremy Steinke Trial

March 21, 2008

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Bryan Mahoney has granted a change of venue to Jeremy Steinke, a 24-year-old man from Alberta, Canada, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend's family.

During Wednesday's court proceeding, Mahoney contended that it would be impossible to find an impartial jury in Medicine Hat, citing widespread publicity and the November 2007 conviction of Steinke's girlfriend, 14-year-old Jasmine Richardson.

"It's just better to get it out of here where it's more insular," Steinke's lawyer, Alain Hepner, told CBC.ca following the hearing. "There's a bigger jury pool to draw from, and they're less affected by the horrific crime that was perpetrated."

Although she had anticipated that Mahoney would grant the ruling, Crown prosecutor Stephanie Cleary opposed the change of venue.

"There's been an extraordinary amount of media coverage, and the justice was obviously very concerned with that, so I honestly can't say I'm surprised at all by this ruling," Cleary said in an interview with CBC.ca....

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Comments

[crystal]

"As a result of Mahoney's ruling, the trial will now be held in Alberta, a city located approximately 750 miles from Medicine Hat."

Actually Alberta is a PROVINCE in Canada. The trial will be moved to Calgary, Alberta which is about 180 miles northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta.