A Butler County judge indicated he would likely select a jury comprised of county residents for the upcoming trial of a man whose lawyer argued the court would not be able to seat a fair and impartial jury.

Attorney Charles Nedz argued Friday that his client, Keith Jordan Lambing, 21, couldn't get a fair trial from county residents because of the amount of media coverage devoted to him in the two years since 4-year-old Bentley Thomas Miller's death was ruled a homicide. Lambing is accused of raping Miller in 2017, resulting in his death.

The defense asked Judge Timothy McCune to seat a jury comprised of people who live outside Butler County. Known as a change of venire, jurors would be brought in from outside the area for the trial.

Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz, who is prosecuting the case, countered that while there was heavy media coverage in 2017, that 2018 and 2019 have served as a “cooling-off” period.

McCune said he would rule on the request later.

Lambing is scheduled for a trial next month. He faces multiple charges, including first-degree homicide, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with serious bodily injury, and rape of a child.

Nedz counted 31 stories from the Butler Eagle and a handful of other publications' stories that were about his client.

“Thankfully, Butler County homicides are rare,” Nedz said. “But this kind of homicide — of the rape and death of a 4-year-old — are extraordinarily rare.”

Nedz argued details of the alleged crimes “spread like wildfire throughout the county.”

“It became everybody's business,” Nedz said. “You hear what happened and you become outraged, and you want someone to pay. Mr. Lambing very quickly became public enemy No. 1.”

Nedz argued that due to extended coverage and social media activity, Lambing would not be able to face a fair jury in Butler County.

“He deserves a fair trial,” Nedz said. “I don't see how that could happen here.”

Schultz countered that “if we were having this trial in 2017, I might agree with Mr. Nedz.” But, she said, in the past two years there has been a marked decline in coverage surrounding Lambing. She also noted that most of the articles about Lambing were based on information that was presented at public court proceedings.

“Everyone has opinions. We have opinions on everything,” Schultz said, asking the judge to select a jury from Butler County.

McCune suggested that the issues should be discussed during the actual jury selection process, when biased jurors could be weeded out. “I'm pretty well convinced there's been a sufficient cooling off period to pick a jury here,” he said.

In August, McCune ruled the trial would take place in Butler County after Nedz asked for a change of venue.

The trial will revolve around the prosecution's argument that Bentley died March 21, 2017, of injuries believed to have been sustained in a Super 8 Motel on Pittsburgh Road in Butler Township. Authorities contend the only other person in the room at that time was Lambing. Prosecutors will also try to convince a jury that Bentley's mother, Mackenzie Paige Peters, was not present at the time.

Peters faced her own charges related to the boy's death and was sentenced last year to three years probation for two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was also sentenced last month to 18 to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty in March to six counts stemming from her role in an unrelated drive-by shooting.