Overview
- Chief Judge Denise J. Casper heard arguments on Farwell’s request to relocate his federal trial to Rhode Island and said she would rule later.
- Defense lawyers cited what they call one‑sided media coverage in Massachusetts and submitted extensive exhibits to argue a fair jury cannot be seated locally.
- Prosecutors opposed moving the case, pointing to juror screening practices and precedent in high‑profile trials to keep proceedings in Boston.
- Farwell has pleaded not guilty to charges that he strangled Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and caused the death of her unborn child after a relationship that began when she was a minor in a police youth program.
- He remains in custody, the Justice Department will not seek the death penalty, DNA testing excludes him as the baby’s father, and trial remains set for October 2026.