In Houston, a new billboard over U.S. 59 is pleading for authorities to “drop the charges” against AJ Armstrong, who is suspected of killing his parents in 2016 while still a juvenile.
Banner Flying
On Monday morning, those driving north into Downtown Houston could see the banner flying from a bridge close to Main Street.
The poster of the “HOUSTON STANDS WITH AJ ARMSTRONG” and “DROP THE CHARGES” banner is unknown.
Armstrong has been accused of killing his parents twice, and both of those trials resulted in hung juries.
In less than a month, jury selection will start for his third trial. However, a hearing to decide whether Armstrong’s trial should be transferred out of Harris County is set on Monday.
Uphill Struggle
Defense attorneys for AJ Armstrong face an uphill struggle because the judge ultimately decides whether or not to shift the trial outside of Harris County.
In her original submission, which was submitted less than two weeks ago, she stated her position clearly, stating that if the case was allowed to proceed, she believed the publicity surrounding it would prevent a fair and impartial trial.
It is up to Armstrong’s attorneys to persuade her otherwise. They make several reasons, including the fact that Harris County has a jury pool of 2.7 million individuals, in a 10-page objection brief.
They say that there were no problems in the prior two jury choices and that it is absolutely doable to find merely 12 unbiased jurors.
They also use the 14th amendment, arguing that because Harris County is far more diverse than the neighboring counties, a change in venue would be in violation of Armstrong’s right to equal protection.
If it were moved outside of Harris County, no mention of the new location is made.
Other Reports, Murder Retrial
A hearing will be held on Monday afternoon to decide whether the trial will be moved out of Harris County, with jury selection for AJ Armstrong’s third murder trial set to start in less than a month.
Defense attorneys for AJ Armstrong face an uphill struggle because the judge ultimately decides whether or not to shift the trial outside of Harris County. In her original submission, which was submitted less than two weeks ago, she stated her position clearly, stating that if the case is allowed to stand, she feels the publicity surrounding the case will prevent a fair and impartial trial.
If it were moved outside of Harris County, no mention of the new location is made.
Given that jury selection was already scheduled to start in less than a month, Armstrong’s attorneys have the difficult challenge of getting her to change her mind. They make several reasons, including the fact that Harris County has a jury pool of 2.7 million individuals, in a 10-page objection brief. The jury selection process for the last two cases went without a hitch, they argue, and it is absolutely doable to locate just 12 unbiased jurors.
They also cite the 14th Amendment, arguing that because Harris County is far more diverse than the neighboring counties, a change in venue would be in violation of Armstrong’s right to equal protection.
