Change of Venue

Change of venue is the transfer of a case from one court (in which it commenced) to another in the same district. Usually, a change of venue is requested when one of the parties thinks that it would be fairer or more convenient to have a trial take place in a court in a different location. For example, in a case that has been heavily covered by the media in a particular location, the defense attorney may ask the court to move the trial to a place where the jury pool will know less about the case and will be therefore less biased.

Perhaps one of the most famous and controversial Los Angeles change of venue situations involved the case against Rodney King. Four Los Angeles Police officers were videotaped beating him. The trial against them was originally venued in Los Angeles, but it was moved to Simi Valley, a predominately white community in Ventura County.