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Judge denies motion to delay Nassar Ingham County trial

October 13, 2017
Larry Nassar looks at his defense attorney Matt Newburg during the final day of the preliminary examination hearing in the 55th District Court on June 23.
Larry Nassar looks at his defense attorney Matt Newburg during the final day of the preliminary examination hearing in the 55th District Court on June 23. —

An Ingham County judge denied a motion to push back ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar's Ingham County trial until after his federal sentencing Friday. The motion, filed Tuesday by Nassar and his attorneys, argued delaying Nassar's Ingham case would help Nassar have a fair trial.

Dec. 4 marks the current start date for Nassar's Ingham County jury selection, but Nassar's federal sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7. His attorneys argued in the motion that the break to attend the federal sentencing will not allow Nassar to have a fair trial.

"It is reasonable to expect that media interest in Defendant Nassar will be at one of its highest points on the days leading up to and immediately following the federal sentencing," his attorneys wrote to the Lansing State Journal. "Starting jury selection just three days before will undoubtedly undermine one of the most fundamental rights a criminal defendant has in this country — the right to a fair trail." 

But Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina denied this motion. According to the Lansing State Journal, prosecutors from the Michigan Attorney General's office also supported the motion, but Aquilina told the courtroom she was "shocked and dismayed at this request," stating the jury instructions to ignore media reports.

Nassar is accused of sexually abusing over 140 women and girls under the guise of medical treatment. He was arrested in December 2016 on charges of possessing “at least 37,000” images of child pornography to which he has pleaded guilty. His sentencing for these charges is set for Dec. 7. 

Nassar additionally faces criminal sexual assault charges in Ingham County and Eaton County. Trials for these charges will begin in early 2018. He is also a defendant in a number of civil cases, many alongside MSU.

In response to this motion, a hearing in the Ingham County Circuit Court has been set for Oct. 25.

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