Pat King's lawyer arguing he's too 'notorious' to be tried in Ottawa

Pat King is continuing an unlikely bid to have his criminal trial moved out of Ottawa arguing through his lawyer that as a "notorious" figure in what became known as the "Freedom Convoy," he wouldn't have a chance at a fair jury trial.

King is facing charges of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, disobeying a court order and obstructing police for his role in the weeks-long protests in the city during the winter of 2022

Justice Charles Hackland said during a video conference hearing Tuesday he would probably dismiss the request to move the trial.

Other people facing charges for being involved in the protests who have sought similar requests have also been denied.

Former Ontario MPP Randy Hillier and convoy protest organizer James Bauder have failed at having their matters moved.

Those requests were denied in part because the court concluded there were enough procedural safeguards in place to avoid any prejudice against the accused.

Pat King, left, one of the organizers of the protest, posed for photos in front of Parliament Hill on Feb. 16, 2022. (Patrick Doyle/Reuters)

But King's lawyer argued her client has greater notoriety than them and most others involved.

Natasha Calvinho told the court her client was too "notorious" and that King "was and still is more highly publicized than most other people involved in the Freedom Convoy."

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who are also on trial, emerged as leaders of the convoy, but King was an early, loud and prominent supporter of the protests, regularly updating his thousands of followers during his time in Ottawa.

The Crown wants the request dismissed and Calvinho reiterated several times she saw the argument to move the trial as an "uphill battle."

Both lawyers made their arguments as part of a four-day pretrial taking place this week, and it's unclear when Hackland will decide whether the trial should be moved.

King's trial is scheduled to start at the end of November.