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Slender Man suspect's attorneys: Publicity taints jury pool

Posted at 5:04 PM, Jul 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-24 19:33:36-04

The judge in the Slender Man attempted homicide trial heard arguments again Monday to sequester the jury in the case.

Attorneys for Anissa Weier argued the amount of publicity the case has gotten could taint the jury pool.

Defense attorney Maura Ann McMahon also asked the judge to reconsider a motion he denied earlier, to bring the jury from another county. McMahon said that attorney’s in the case of co-defendant Morgan Geyser had conducted mock juries in her case in Waukesha County.

“This was something done without our knowledge. We have no way of knowing what kind of information was provided to people” said McMahon.

Judge Michael Bohren denied the request to move the case or bring in a jury from another county.

“I’m satisfied that it has not been presented to the court that such prejudice exists, that a fair trial can not be held in Waukesha County,” Bohren said.

On the motions to sequester, the judge said he’d take arguments in both cases into consideration before making a decision within a week.

The two defendants are accused of attacking their classmate Payton Leutner, stabbing her to please a fictional online character. Trials are expected in September and October.