TEXAS
San Antonio Express-News
By Aaron Nelsen Updated Wednesday, May 24, 2017
EDINBURG — Attorneys for a former priest accused of murdering a beauty queen 57 years ago say pervasive media coverage has made a fair trial virtually impossible in Hidalgo County.
John Feit, 84, was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, last February and charged in the 1960 slaying of Irene Garza, a 25-year-old elementary school teacher from McAllen.
“The pretrial publicity has reached that point where (Feit) cannot … reasonably receive a fair and impartial jury in this case,” said Attorney O. Rene Flores, who is representing Feit.
A trial consultant testified Wednesday that media coverage of dramatic events are seared into the public conscience and can prejudice jurors. According to a survey conducted by the expert witness, 76 percent of prospective jurors had heard, read about or seen television news reports about the killing.
“Despite the passage of time, this case is really important to this community,” said Bryan Edelman, a trial consultant with the California-based Trial Innovations. “Actually it was an important factor in determining the outcome of the election for district attorney.”
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