A change of trial venue is being considered by lawyers of five people charged with killing Rotorua's three-year-old Nia Glassie.
They believe Rotorua was not a large enough community from which a jury panel could be empanelled who did not have some connection with the accused, The DominionPost reported.
The accused - Michael Curtis, 21, Wiremu Curtis, 17, Michael Pearson, 19, Oriwa Kemp, 17, and Lisa Kuka, 34 - appeared for first trial callover in the High Court in Rotorua yesterday.
The five pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and manslaughter, and were committed to trial after a week-long depositions hearing in Rotorua District Court on December 20.
A trial date has not been set.
Crown prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch said the indictment would be filed next week for arraignment on March 6.
In the High Court yesterday, Michael Curtis' lawyer Johnathan Temm, on behalf of other counsel, said an application for change of venue was likely to be made at the next callover when the indictment would be filed.
Lawyer Harry Edward, for Wiremu Curtis, said a change of venue would be considered by the defence.
"Rotorua community is not a large community from which a jury panel can be drawn who do not have some connection with the accused."
He said the problem was of potential jurors knowing various accused personally.
Nia Glassie died of bleeding on the brain in Starship children's hospital in Auckland on August 3. She had been in a coma since being admitted to Rotorua Hospital on July 21.
