What's next for the Ross Harris trial?

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County court officials have started the process of moving the high-profile Ross Harris “hot car death trial” to a different county.

Monday because so many potential jurors had already formed an opinion on whether Ross Harris had murdered his son, Cooper. %

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Harris is accused of intentionally leaving his 2-year-old son in a hot car to die for more than seven hours in June 2014.

Cobb County's court administrator says they are now trying to determine what courthouse can accommodate this case, which is expected to last about two months.

It is the judge’s final decision where it moves and experts say it could be after Labor Day before the trial begins in a new location.

"I know the judge wants this case to be scheduled and tried before the end of the year,” said Cobb County Court Administrator Tom Charron.

Charron has his marching orders from Staley -- find another place in Georgia that can handle the demands of this high-profile trial, which won’t be a quick or easy task.

Charron believes we're getting too close to the summer, with family vacations and time off, to schedule anything in the next few months.

Harris' legal team asked for the change of venue after lawyers had grilled some 90 jurors. Around half had opinions so strong about Harris' guilt they were not suitable for the jury, and the intensity of those opinions seemed to surprise even the judge. %

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“(They included) comments such as I hate to use vulgarity but one juror used the words 'rot in hell.' Another used the word 'pervert,’” Staley told the court Monday.

Charron is now scrambling to find somewhere in Georgia that is far enough away from metro Atlanta, but with the housing, restaurants and stores to handle the courtroom crowd.

“First question once we start narrowing down or start contacting other jurisdictions is, ‘No. 1, do you have the ability to have us?’" Charron said

Though the decision came as a shock to many, Charron, a former Cobb district attorney, and others such as veteran defense attorney Jimmy Berry believe the decision was the correct one that prevented what would have been a big issue for appeal.

"It’s not an unusual situation. I think in this particular case it was the right thing to do,” Berry said.

Other trials moved out of Cobb County

The Harris case is not the first in recent history to be moved from Cobb County.

Stacey Humphreys, now on death row for killing two real estate agents, was tried in Brunswick. Lynn Turner, who poisoned her police officer husband, was found guilty in Perry, Georgia.

Former Cobb DA Pat Head says he does not have fond memories of either murder trial he had to take on the road.

“It was just a miserable experience,” Head said.

Head told Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt moving the trials was costly to taxpayers and bringing witnesses to the remote courthouses was a logistical nightmare, but he believes prosecutors had an advantage.

“In those cases where we went to Brunswick, the DA there provided us with some space. We had copy machines available to us if we needed something like an investigator to look at something he'd provide us with that,” Head said.

Cavitt covered both trials and Berry defended both defendants.

“It’s difficult on everybody. It’s tough to be out of your element. You don't know a lot about the demographics in that area so you want to talk to some local lawyers,” Berry said.

Cox Media Group