A former Michigan State University sports doctor’s sexual assault case will continue as scheduled – despite objections by both the defense and the prosecutors.
Both sides agree Dr. Larry Nassar’s Ingham County trial needs to wait. Nassar will be sentenced on federal child pornography charges soon.
The current schedule has that court date happening the same week as jury selection for sexual assault charges in an Ingham County court.
The prosecutor and defense said that with all the media attention, Nassar wouldn’t be able to get a fair trial with that schedule.
Rosemarie Aquilina is the judge in the Ingham County case. She says there will be over 700 jurors to choose from.
“Those jurors will be told not to listen to the media. Not to do any homework,” Aquilina said.
Nassar is accused of sexually assaulting multiple young gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment.
Aquilina says that trial will go forward as planned.
"To keep pushing this out because of a federal judge’s docket makes my docket and this county secondary. I will not let that happen," she said. "It also means that this case could go on months and months."
Matt Newburg is one of Nassar’s attorneys. He says if they pick a jury while Nassar is being sentenced in another case, it would be impossible to pick a fair jury.
“Based on the intense amount of media that this case has garnered, there is little question that the jurors are going to come back on December the 8th with information as it relates to my client’s federal sentence," he said.
The judge says the jurors will be told to not pay attention to any media and it won’t affect Nassar’s right to a fair trial.
Correction: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's last name is spelled with one "l" not two.
