Defense attorneys for Aaron Dean, the ex-Fort Worth police officer charged with murder for shooting and killing Atatiana Jefferson, have filed a new motion to move the upcoming trial out of Tarrant County.
No decision was made Wednesday on the motion to relocate the trial. The hearing is expected to continue Thursday at 9 a.m.
According to the filing, pre-trial publicity has been “extensive, prejudicial and inflammatory” against Dean. Attorneys for Dean added, “influential persons” in Tarrant County have “instigated a dangerous combination” against him and he cannot expect a fair trial.
The motion specifically lists former Fort Worth Chief of Police Ed Kraus, former Mayor Betsy Price, and Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson for collectively making public comments against the former officer.
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Dean faces a murder charge for the shooting death of Jefferson who was shot through the window of her mother's Fort Worth home in the early morning hours of Oct. 12, 2019, after a neighbor called a non-emergency line requesting someone check on Jefferson's home because of an open door.
ATATIANA JEFFERSON
The case had multiple delays due to the pandemic, scheduling conflicts, and various motions filed.
Attorneys for Dean have previously filed a motion to change the venue earlier in the year, though it was denied by Judge David Hagerman. Hagerman was later removed from the case after Dean’s attorneys successfully argued the judge had become “increasingly hostile” toward the defense.
Dean is represented by defense attorneys Bob Gill and Miles Brissette. The trial is set to begin on Dec. 5 with jury selection scheduled for Nov. 28.
