Attorneys for a man accused of shooting and killing a Fort Myers police officer in 2018 have filed for a change of venue, arguing extensive media attention has made a fair trial impossible in Lee or Collier counties.
Wisner Desmaret, 33, faces a first-degree murder charge for the deadly shooting of Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller of the Fort Myers Police Department, among multiple other charges. Jobbers-Miller died from his injuries after being shot in the head on July 21, 2018, while responding to an incident at a Marathon gas station on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The state is seeking the death penalty.
According to the filing by Desmaret’s attorneys:
“The overwhelming majority of the coverage has been extremely negative for Defendant and has included details of his arrests and prior record. There have been multiple local newspaper stories, and coverage from local television. This information has become even more accessible to the public on the internet. Defendant cannot receive a fair trial by an impartial jury in Lee or Collier County because of the extensive, inflammatory, and prejudicial pretrial publicity in the case.”
The filing did not specify where a trial would take place if the venue changed.
READ MORE:
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- Suspect accused of killing Officer Jobbers-Miller declared competent to stand trial
- State to seek the death penalty for man accused of killing Officer Jobbers-Miller
- Report says suspected gunman shot FMPD officer Jobbers-Miller with his own gun