The sexual assault trial involving the University of Iowa fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, known as FIJI, is moving from Johnson County to Tama County after a motion to overturn the change of venue was denied.
In the latest filing of the FIJI trial, Johnson County Judge Kevin McKeever denied the motion from Makéna Solberg’s lawyers to overturn the change of venue decision.

The defendants initially filed for a change of venue, citing the extensive media coverage of the case as having the potential to influence the jurors and the public. McKeever agreed with this reasoning and allowed the change of venue in an Aug. 30 filing.

In a filing Wednesday, McKeever wrote that although lawyers for Solberg argued that there would be no prejudice because of local media coverage for the trial, he remained unconvinced.

“None of Plaintiff’s arguments convince the Court that the Aug. 30 order should be reconsidered,
amended, enlarged, or altered in any way,” McKeever wrote. “Therefore, Plaintiff’s 1.904 Motion and Motion to Strike are denied. As Defendants now have paid the costs for the change of venue, the Clerk of Court shall proceed with the venue transfer.”

The decision comes over a week after lawyers for both sides filed competing motions disputing the location of the trial. It started after Solberg filed a motion to overturn the venue change on Sept. 1, asking for a reconsideration of the ruling.

On Sept. 14, lawyers for the defendants then made a filing resisting Solberg’s motion, prompting Solberg’s lawyer to subsequently make a counter-filing that pointed to the delayed filing from the defendants.

RELATED: Location of FIJI trial disputed between fraternity members and case plaintiff Makéna Solberg

The trial will now be held in Tama County, located roughly an hour and a half from Iowa City.