The trial of nine people facing drug charges aborted twice this week will be moved to Wellington.
The Crown applied for the trial, scheduled to last a month, to be moved after two attempts to start it this week in the High Court, Napier, failed.
The first trial was aborted after the Crown's opening address when the jury forewoman realised she knew one of the parties involved.
Justice Wild said it was not safe to continue such a long trial with only 11 jurors.
On Wednesday the trial was again aborted when a jury could not be chosen because of the number of challenges from defence lawyers and the number of jurors stood aside by Justice Wild.
Justice Wild said that in a trial of this type involving so many accused, some of them Mongrel Mob members, there would always be a difficulty selecting a jury that was "impartial and without fear or favour".
Justice Wild acknowledged that moving the trial to Wellington would seriously inconvenience the lawyers being away from their practices and their families for so long.
It was also mean huge extra expense to the State because all the accused had legal aid.
The nine accused also had the right to be tried in their own community and where their homes, friends and families were, he said.
However, it was important they be fairly tried and he doubted whether that was possible in Hawke's Bay.
- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY
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