On September 11th, the day after the court denied Mehserle attorney Michael Rains' 995 motion to dismiss the murder case due to supposed judicial improprieties, Rains filed his long-expected motion for a change of venue. Mehserle and his defense team appear to be hoping for the murder trial to be moved out of Alameda County as their last best chance for him to avoid a conviction for the murder of Oscar Grant III on January 1st, 2009.

In the motion, Rains cites actions taken by CAPE (Citizens Against Police Executions), BAMN (By Any Means Necessary), No Justice No BART, the Town Halls for Justice for Oscar Grant, the Revolution Club, Uhuru House, and coverage on Indybay as reasons the venue should be moved. He accuses these groups of spreading "disinformation" about the case and unfairly amplifying political pressure to prosecute.

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Related Indybay Features: J.R. Valrey on Trial for Felony Charges in Oscar Grant Rebellion || BART Police Oversight Plan Dead; Community Activists Take to BART Trains Again to Inform Riders About BART's Rogue Police || Murder Charge Sticks for Johannes Mehserle

Recent Related Coverage: Demand DA Oppose Effort to Move Mehserle's Trial Out of Alameda County || Change of Venue Maneuver in Trial of Police Murderer of Oscar Grant || Johannes Mehserle's 995 Hearing: video, photos, and court documents including ruling || Murdering BART cop Mehserle's attempt to get case dismissed with 995 motion FAILS || BART reinstates 4 cops and Alameda Board of Supes appoint DA Orloff replacement Nancy O'Malley || Town Hall for Justice for Oscar Grant, Oakland, 9/5/09: audio || Reporter faces felony charges for covering Oscar Grant rebellion || Gabe Meyers Sentenced to 30 Days for Throwing Red Paint on BART GM Dorothy Dugger