A Northern Territory judge will decide whether the trial of a police officer charged with the shooting murder of a 19-year-old indigenous man should be shifted.
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The man's community are calling for the case to stay put and fear a move would shut them out of the legal process.
Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, faced Alice Springs Local Court by videolink from Canberra on Thursday, with defence lawyers asking for the case be heard in Darwin.
Const Rolfe is charged with the murder of Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot at his home in Yuendumu, 300 kilometres from Alice Springs, on the evening of November 9.
Defence counsel David Edwardson QC said a "premature" decision to lay charges had led to unprecedented publicity and misinformation reported by the media.
He said the reporting had contributed to a division within the Alice Springs community and urged the court to move the matter to Darwin to ensure access to a fair trial.
Members of the Yuendumu community, who travelled to Alice Springs for the hearing and staged a peaceful sit-down outside the court, said they would not be able to attend hearings if the case was moved.
"This court case is part of our healing," Samara Fernandez-Brown, cousin of Mr Walker, told reporters outside court.
"By taking it to Darwin, it restricts family from being a part of that and it restricts us from healing."
Alice Springs Local Court judge John Birch will hand down his decision on the location of proceedings next week.
Australian Associated Press
