Judge denies Charlottesville car attack suspect's change of venue request

On Thursday, a judge denied a request to move the trial of James Alex Fields, Jr.

Fields is facing numerous charges, including first-degree murder, for driving his vehicle into a crowd of counter-protesters on Aug. 12, 2017, killing Heather Heyer and wounding several others.

The judge in Charlottesville Circuit Court declined Fields' attorney's request to move the trial somewhere else due to publicity about the Unite the Right rally and its aftermath, "community prejudice" in the city, and the impact of the events on Charlottesville residents.

However, he may reconsider this decision at a later date. The trial is scheduled to begin in November.

Fields is facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of Heather Heyer and multiple malicious wounding and assault charges.

Fields also faces separate federal hate crime charges.