KNOXVILLE, Iowa  —  Jason Carter is formally asking a judge to move his upcoming First Degree Murder trial out of his home county.

He’s accused of the shooting death of his mother, Shirley Carter, in 2015.  Last year a jury found him liable for her death in a civil trial.  He was charged criminally with her murder less than a week later.  Today his defense told a judge that coverage of that case has made this one impossible to try in Marion County.

I certainly believe this case in Marion County more so than in the rest of the state has received significant media attention,” said Carter attorney Christine Branstad, “Significant attention from neighbors, friends and others within Marion County.”

However County Attorney Ed Bull says its the type of coverage that matters.  “Mere publicity in and of itself is not grounds to change venue,” said Bull in court Thursday, “There’s a distinction that’s been made and we quoted in our resistance: this was not sensational reporting of a routine event, this was routine reporting of a sensational event.”

A judge did not give a timeline as to when he’ll make a decision on the change of venue request.

The trial is tentatively scheduled to begin in March 2019.