Lawyers for a high school honor student in Massachusetts say the teen is 'bewildered' over the involuntary manslaughter charges against her following the suicide of her friend, as they push to have the case moved to a different county due to 'a conflict of interest'. Michelle Carter, 18, looked glum as she appeared in court in New Bedford on Thursday accused of encouraging the death of Conrad Roy III, who gassed himself in his truck in Fairhaven last July. During the hearing her defense attorney requested the case be moved out of Bristol County, saying it's 'impossible' for Carter to receive a fair trial in the area because the District Attorney is the victim's third cousin. However the the district attorney's office filed a response arguing that the DA, Thomas Quinn, has excused himself from any involvement in the case. Scroll down for video . 'Bewildered': Michelle Carter, 18, seen here in court in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Thursday, is said to be confused at being charged with involuntary manslaughter over the suicide of her friend, Conrad Roy II, 18, according to her lawyers, who claim she was attempting to help Roy . Hearing: Carter's lawyers are trying to have her case moved out of Bristol County, saying it's 'impossible' for her to receive a fair trial in the area because the District Attorney is the victim's third cousin . Pretrial: Michelle Carter appears for a hearing in court with her attorneys Cory Madera (left) and Joseph Cataldo on Thursday in New Bedford, Massachusetts . Honor student: Carter was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Conrad Roy III last July . Supportive: Parent's Gail and David Carter have insisted their daughter is innocent and had been left overwhelmed by Roy's suicidal talk . 'There's no suggestion that DA Quinn and Conrad Roy III had ever even met,' Assistant District Attorney Kattie Rayburn said. New Bedford Juvenile Court Judge Siobhan Foley heard the arguments but did not make a decision. Authorities claim Carter, of Plainville, texted with Roy minutes before he killed himself in the parking lot of a Fairhaven store. Police said Carter sent him a text saying 'get back in' when he had second thoughts. Carter's lawyer says no crime was committed. Attorney Joseph Cataldo said outside juvenile court that they will prove Carter was actually trying to help Roy. 'Taking all the texts in context, she tried to talk him out of it,' Cataldo said, The Sun Chronicle reported. 'He caused his own death. 'She doesn't understand why she is being prosecuted.' Roy had previously tried to commit suicide over a year earlier and was battling depression. Video courtesy of WPRI . Accused: Michelle Carter (left) allegedly knew that her friend Conrad Roy III (right) was suicidal but rather than seeking help, she encouraged him to take his life in the minutes before he died last July . Last month it was reported that Carter told a friend: 'He got out of the car, and I told him to get back in... because I knew he would do it all over again the next day', according toPeople. The magazine reported that in the days before Roy took his life,  Carter texted her friends to say he had gone missing and she feared he was going to take his life. But other texts revealed that she was messaging Roy the whole time. 'Let me know when you're gonna do it,' one of her messages allegedly read. 'It is believed that Carter acted in this way because she was planning to continue to encourage Conrad to take his own life,' police said, People reported. 'So as a result she was beginning to put together a plan to get sympathy from her friends, which was evident because at this point she already started explaining that it's her fault that Conrad is dead, even though he was still alive and speaking and texting with her regularly.' Police and prosecutors say the pair exchanged more than 1,000 text messages in the days leading up to his death in the parking lot of a Fairhaven Kmart on July 13, 2014. Before his suicide, Conrad told her he was scared and not ready to leave his family, according to a police report, but 'she continued to encourage him to take his own life', the Sun Chronicle reported. 'When he actually started to carry out the act, he got scared again and exited his truck, but instead of telling him to stay out of the truck ... Carter told him to 'get back in',' the police report said. Tribute: In the hours after he was found dead, Carter shared this message to her Twitter page . 'Duplicitous': Three days after she allegedly encouraged him to take his life, she questioned why he had died . Before she was arraigned earlier this year, Carter shared this image of Conrad, adding: 'Really missing you tonight'. She is free on bail but has been ordered not to touch her social media pages or text . His body was found in the truck after his parents reported him missing, and police found the text messages after looking through his phone. Carter messaged one of her friends nearly a week later expressing her fears that her messages to Roy had been found, People reported. 'I just got off the phone with Conrads mom about 20 mins ago and she told me that detectives had to come and go thru his things and stuff,' she wrote. 'They read my messages with him I'm done... His family will hate me and I could go to jail.' Even though Carter, who met Roy while on a vacation to Florida several years earlier, reportedly called herself his 'girlfriend', his friends and family said they never knew of the relationship. Friend Louie Pina, 19, told People of the first time he saw her: 'I didn't even know who she was. She was just like a random face.' After the death, Carter, who attends King Philip Regional High School, started raising money and awareness for suicide prevention and organized a fundraising softball tournament last September. Tragic: Roy had struggled with anxiety throughout school, his family said, and canceled plans to go to college . In a description for the event, 'Homers for Conrad', Carter wrote: 'Life can be tough, but helping others makes it easier.' She later wrote on Twitter that the event had raised $2,300. Carter has also repeatedly posted online about how much she misses her friend. 'Such a beautiful soul gone too soon,' she wrote on the day of his death. 'I'll always remember your bright light and smile. You'll forever be in my heart, I love you Conrad.' Three days later, she added: 'I will never understand why this had to happen.' Her most recent message - written just two days before her indictment - reads: 'Enjoy the parade from up there tomorrow Conrad, I know you would of loved to be there ♥ Really missing you tonight.' Carter, who was 17 at the time of Roy's suicide, was indicted on February 5 and arraigned on an involuntary manslaughter charge the next day in New Bedford Juvenile Court. The high school senior was charged as a youthful offender, which means her case is open and she could face punishment as an adult if convicted. She is free on bail and is due back in court in April. As conditions of her bail, she is not allowed to use the internet or social media and cannot text anyone but her parents. Her family have insisted that she is innocent and had been left overwhelmed by Roy's suicidal talk. Bailed: Carter, a high school senior who's on the honor role, has been charged as a youthful offender, which means her case is open and she could face punishment as an adult if convicted . In a statement earlier this year, they said she 'is not the villain the media is portraying her to be'. 'She is a quiet, kind, and sympathetic young girl,' they said. 'She tried immensely to help Mr. Roy in his battle with depression. We know that once all of the facts are released, our daughter will be found innocent.' Conrad Roy had graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School, where he was an all-around athlete who played baseball, rowed crew and ran track, according to an obituary. He had earned his captain's license from Northeast Maritime Institute and worked for his family's marine salvage business. But Roy's father told police that his son suffered from anxiety and had struggled to attend school, and that he had got into Fitchburg State University but had canceled his plans to go. • For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here . • For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here .
Michelle Carter, 18, appeared in New Bedford court Thursday over the involuntary manslaughter of Conrad Roy II, 18, who killed himself last July .
Carter 'sent Roy a series of texts encouraging him to take his own life'
Her lawyers claim she is 'bewildered at the charges' and have asked for the case to be moved because the District Attorney is the victim's third cousin .
They claim she was actually trying to help Roy .
Roy was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in his idling truck .
Carter told a friend she was worried that the police were checking his text messages, saying: 'I'm done ... I could go to jail'
After he died, she raised money for suicide prevention and wrote on Twitter about how much she missed him .
Carter, who was 17 at the time, is free on bail but can't text or use social media .