Nine Exiles Lose Plea For New Trial Location

U.S. District Court Judge William Mehrtens today denied a defense motion for a change of location for the trial of nine Miami Cuban exiles accused of plotting to blow up ships of nations engaged in trade with Cuba.

Melvyn Greenspahn, attorney for the Cubans, argued that the defendants had been linked by Miami newspapers with Cuban Power, an exile terrorist organization.

He claimed that news stories and editorials tied the defendants to a series of bombings in the Miami area, and that one of the defendants, Orlando Bosch, was named in the indictment as being “also known as ‘Ernesto.’”

Cuban Power issued manifestoes after some of the bombings signed “Ernesto.”

Judge Mehrtens not only denied the motion for change of venue but also denied a request that he disqualify himself from presiding at the Nov. 5 trial.