The trial by press release continues

and the motive goes public:

The defense later Thursday asked Judge Bob Perkins to step aside and for the trial to be moved out of Travis County. Perkins has donated to causes and people opposed to DeLay, and his impartiality might be questioned, the motion said.

The motion listed 34 contributions from Perkins, which included donations to John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004; MoveOn.org, a liberal advocacy group; and national, state and local Democratic committees.

Earle said he would oppose the motion to move the trial, and criticized the request that the judge step aside.

"The logic behind the defendant's motion to recuse Judge Perkins would mean that no criminal defendant could be tried in a court presided over by a judge who did not belong to the defendant's poltical party," Earle said in a statement.

The change-of-venue motion cited media attention and noted that Austin, widely perceived as a liberal town, is "one of the last enclaves of the Democratic Party in Texas."

DeLay had been expected to turn himself in in his home county outside Houston, Fort Bend, where a horde of reporters awaited. But under Texas law, he could check in anywhere in the state.

DeGuerin said he and DeLay went to the sheriff's office in Houston because it was convenient and because "I wanted to avoid the circus."

"That's what Ronnie (Earle) wanted. He wanted a perp walk and we did not want to do it," the defense attorney said.

How much longer is DeLay's lawyer gonna cry "wolf"?