Legal Definitions - venue, change of

Definition:Change of venue refers to the transfer of a legal case from one court to another within the same judicial system. This is done to correct a defect in venue, which could be to minimize the impact of local bias or to find a more appropriate location for the trial.

Examples: If a high-profile case is being tried in a small town where the defendant is well-known, the defense may request a change of venue to a larger city where the jury pool is less likely to be biased. Another example could be if a case is filed in the wrong court due to a mistake, the parties may request a change of venue to the correct court.

Explanation: The examples illustrate how a change of venue can be used to ensure a fair trial and to correct errors in the legal process. In the first example, the change of venue is requested to minimize the impact of local sentiment on the jury. In the second example, the change of venue is necessary to correct a mistake in the initial filing of the case.