Trial delayed for Ore. judge who refused to marry gay people

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The trial for suspended Oregon judge Vance Day, who rose to national prominence after refusing to marry gay couples and was later indicted on separate criminal charges, has been postponed.

The Statesman Journal reports that Marion County judge Julie Frantz on Monday granted a motion to move the trial from Day’s home county, where he faces charges of giving guns to a felon.

Day’s attorneys requested the change, citing concerns over fairness after media coverage of Day’s case and his marriage stance. Prosecutors had resisted the motion, writing in court documents Day had actively sought media attention. Frantz had said she would wait to rule so she could gauge bias in the jury pool, according to a Statesman-Journal report.

One hundred jurors were scheduled to arrive for a 14-day trial beginning Tuesday. A new date has not been set.