Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm decided Thursday that the jury selected for Colin Gray’s trial will not be from Barrow County.
The decision comes from a motion from Colin’s attorneys to move his trial to a new location that was filed in late March.
Colin is the father of Colt Gray, the boy accused of killing four and injuring nine others during a shooting at Apalachee High School last September. Colin was charged in the case for allegedly allowing Colt access to the weapon that was used in the attack.
Colin’s attorneys, Brian Hobbs and Jimmy Dodd Berry, claimed that he could not receive a fair trial in Barrow County due to extensive media coverage and prominence of the case within the community.
During the April 17 hearing, District Attorney Brad Smith stated that while the state does support changing the venue for the trial from Barrow County, it is not because of pre-trial coverage of the case. Instead, Smith argued that extensive media coverage would be an issue in any county within the State of Georgia. He also highlighted that moving the case outside of Barrow County would be more costly and complicate the trial process for witnesses and law enforcement.
Colin’s attorneys suggested that the trial be physically moved from the county to another that is similar in population size and demographics, such as Effingham or Thomas Counties. Meanwhile, Smith suggested that the trial still be housed at the Barrow County Courthouse, but select a jury from nearby Walton County, to “eliminate as much error as possible” from the case.
Primm did not make a final decision as to whether or not the case would be physically moved from Barrow County during the hearing.
Colin faces dozens of charges in the case, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, second-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct.
Colt Gray, who also filed a motion to have his case moved to a new venue, will have a hearing to decide if his case should be moved on Tuesday, May 6.
