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Judge denies venue change sought by Seattle mayor’s accuser

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is surrounded and embraced by supporters, some in tears, after reading a statement saying that he is dropping his re-election bid for a second term Tuesday, May 9, 2017, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / AP)
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is surrounded and embraced by supporters, some in tears, after reading a statement saying that he is dropping his re-election bid for a second term Tuesday, May 9, 2017, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / AP)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – A judge has rejected a request from attorneys for a man suing Seattle Mayor Ed Murray for alleged sexual abuse to move the case out of King County and warned lawyers against using the media to make “an extravagant spectacle.”

The Seattle Times reported Lincoln Beauregard, the Seattle attorney representing Murray’s accuser, Delvonn Heckard, had requested the venue change earlier this month.

Beauregard claimed the mayor and his lawyers tainted the potential jury pool by spreading “a false narrative” that the case was driven by an anti-gay agenda.

King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Alicea-Galvan denied the request Friday.

Galvan wrote that a trial was a long way off and the county’s pool of potential jurors was large enough to ensure a fair panel could be found.

She additionally rejected Beauregard’s request for sanctions against Murray’s legal team of at least $5,000 for ethics violations.