Rose continued to deny all of the accusations against him and refused to appear at a hearing with Giamatti on the matter. He filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, the Ohio state trial court covering Cincinnati, alleging that the Commissioner had prejudged the case and could not provide a fair hearing. The Court of Common Pleas issued a temporary restraining order to delay the hearing, but Giamatti sought to remove the case to the federal United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Southern District of Ohio granted Giamatti's removal petition. The parties thereafter entered settlement negotiations, as the federal court, whose judges were lifetime appointees and whose jurisdiction included large areas where the Reds were less popular, was seen to be a less favorable forum for Rose than a state court covering only Cincinnati and its immediate environs and whose judges faced election every six years.