Change of Venue Denied for Area Murder Trial

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with murder has lost his bid to move his trial out of Dubuque County.

On Wednesday a judge denied Eddie Hicks' motion for a change of venue. Hicks is accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Kahdyesha Lemon, on June 17 in Dubuque.

His motion said extensive media coverage would make it difficult to pick a fair jury in Dubuque County, and his attorneys provided Judge Thomas Bitter with copies of media stories and documents from online media.

The judge wrote in rejecting the motion that a change of venue is warranted when coverage is pervasive and inflammatory. Bitter says he doesn't think the media coverage of Hicks' case has reached that point.

The trial is set to begin March 29.