The courthouse security officers Angel Farmer’s accused of confronting two years ago will not be at work when she has her trial. Judge H. Chris Ryan says jurors won’t see them on the way in or out. That’s how he’ll cut the chance of the jurors feeling swayed when deciding whether the 31-year old Peru woman committed battery.
Defense attorney Wayne Slaughter asked this afternoon to move the case out of LaSalle County. He said negative publicity will also make it hard to get a fair jury. Prosecutor Kelley Porter said Farmer generated much of the publicity by putting video of the incident online.
Judge Ryan said jurors will be asked if they know anything about the case and have formed opinions. Those who can’t be impartial won’t serve on Farmer’s jury. Slaughter could ask again later to move the trial. That’ll be the week of April 17.
Farmer has the online moniker Accountability Angel and is seen in videos testing the boundaries of policies against cell phone videos in public buildings. Her brother, Jacob Farmer, was found guilty last year of obstructing courthouse security in connection with the same incident.
Correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Jacob Farmer pleaded guilty.