Kouri Richins’ lawyers file to move trial from Summit Co. to Salt Lake Co.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Lawyers for Kouri Richins — the children’s author accused of killing her husband with fentanyl — have filed a motion to move the trial from Summit County to Salt Lake County.

Her attorneys are seeking to move the trial arguing that Richins’ right to an impartial jury is not possible in Summit County because of heavy local and national media coverage.

In the motion filed on Monday, Mar. 17, Richins’ defense alleges that her court case has been the subject of “a media campaign that has continued to vilify Ms. Richns.” Her defense wrote that more than 140 stories have been published by three Summit County news organizations.

“Her protection to a fair and impartial jury is infringed without a change of venue,” the motion reads. “A fair and impartial jury cannot be found in Summit County because of the extensive publicity that is ongoing and inflammatory.”

Richins’ lawyers also argue that the publicity of the case has led to inaccurate and inadmissible information being shared, and that “enlarging the jury pool will not cure this problem.”

Previously, her lawyers sought to expand the search for jurors in the case to include both Summit and Salt Lake counties, but that request was ultimately denied.

The defense raised concerns about the size of Summit County, saying it is a small community that “has been affected by the press to a degree that cannot be overcome.” Her lawyers also argue that results of a recent poll suggest “a change of venue is necessary to ensure a fair trial.”

The last argument made by Richin’s lawyers is that voir dire — or pretrial questioning of potential jurors — would not assure a fair trial because of the publicity the case has seen before trial.

“The only assurance that Ms. Richins constitutional right to a fair trial can be protected is to change the venue of this trial,” the motion reads.

Richins was arrested in May 2023 and is facing charges of aggravated murder and attempted criminal homicide in the case. For a more detailed history on the case, read this timeline compiled by ABC4.com.