CNBC reported earlier that Musk asked a judge to move a shareholder lawsuit out of San Francisco because he thought the jury might be biased against him. In a Friday filing, Musk requested that the trial be relocated to West Texas because of the negative publicity surrounding him and his businesses.
The shareholder class action lawsuit accuses Musk of manipulating the stock price of the company. The Securities and Exchange Commission imposed a 40 million dollar fine on the company after their stock reached highs and lows. According to CNBC, the upcoming trial is supposed to determine if Musk should be held responsible for the damages that he allegedly caused.
The filing states that the media coverage encourages the jury pool to hold negative biases against Mr. Musk. Potential jurors that hold negative opinions about Mr. Musk will be unable to impartially evaluate his conduct because of the coverage.
According to the filing, Musk has already created bias in local juries.
In addition to blaming local media coverage, the filling states that Musk's takeover of the company has already created bias in those who have been impacted by it.
Musk and his San Francisco offices are often subject to protests that are encouraged by local politicians, further cementing this "prejudice" and leading to an unfair trial. If the trial is not moved to Texas, Musk and his lawyers want the trial to be delayed to allow the negative feelings surrounding Musk to go away.
The judge ruled last year that Musk knowingly made false statements about taking the company private. Recently disclosed text messages show Musk's anger over the PIF's lack of support, while he continues to reiterate that he struck a deal with investors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The trial was supposed to take place on January 17th, but Musk has subpoenaed the head of the PIF. The trial will be relocated on January 13th.
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