State defenders of Derrick Powell, the Cumberland, Md. man accused of fatally shooting Georgetown Patrolman Chad Spicer, say he won't get a fair trial in Sussex County.
In a motion filed Friday, March 12, public defenders Stephanie Tsantes and Dean Johnson asked Judge T. Henley Graves to move Powell's trial out of Sussex. Citing a study conducted by the University of Delaware, they said 69 to 78 percent of those polled believe Powell is probably or definitely guilty.
A vast outpouring of sympathy and rage followed Spicer's Sept. 1, 2009 slaying in Georgetown, the defense said, pointing to a memorial page on networking site Facebook that has 11,642 fans. Powell's defenders note that Facebook users don't always identify their location, but many who commented on the memorial page claimed to be friends, relatives or sympathizers.
The study, conducted by the University's Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, interviewed 509 eligible jurors in Sussex County.
Powell pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and assault. His trial is currently scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 11, at Superior Court in Georgetown.
If the change of venue motion succeeds, Powell's trial is expected to be moved to either Kent County or New Castle County.
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