Bryan Kohberger trial: Judge allows cameras in courtroom, urges people to show ‘dignity and some restraint’
MOSCOW, IDAHO: There will be broadcast access to judicial proceedings in the court case against Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death. While cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, there are some limitations, the judge said on Friday, November 3.
Judge John Judge said that while he won't ban cameras from the courtroom, he will regulate their use. He further asked the media and the public to be respectful and patient, Fox News reported.
What did Judge John Judge say about televised Bryan Kohberger hearing?
"I haven’t put a decision out yet, but what I’m going to do is take control of the cameras in the courtroom; I’m not going to ban cameras in the courtroom," the judge said.
He added, "But I need to have more control over what the cameras are doing and what media, or people who are not media, are doing with the filming."
Ban on lawyers, expert witnesses, and investigators sharing case details still holds
The court has already issued a restrictive gag order on the case, barring lawyers for both sides, investigators, and even expert witnesses from discussing details beyond the public record.
Both the prosecution and defense had requested the judge to remove the cameras, believing it affected the fairness and privacy of the trial.
Back in July, the lawyers argued that the cameras could jeopardize Kohberger’s right to a fair trial and the privacy of the victims and witnesses.
“I know I can only control so much, and that’s why I continue to urge people to be patient and have some dignity and some restraint,” Judge John Judge said.
Judge will consider excluding cameras during 'sensitive' witness testimonies
The judge also repeated on Friday, November 3, that he would prohibit cameras from focusing on the lawyers’ notes, the defendant, or off-the-record moments.
He also said he would consider excluding camera coverage of some sensitive witness testimony, as requested by the prosecutors.
He also told the photographers in the hearing not to focus on tabletops where lawyers placed their notes and not to focus continually on the defendant.
“We don’t want to have a trial in the media or in the public,” Judge said in June, per the report. “We want it to be in the courtroom.”
Kohberger’s case hearing
Kohberger, the former criminology student, is accused of killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus rental house in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
He was arrested in Pennsylvania at his parent's home after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the crime scene.
He pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The trial which was scheduled for October 2 will now likely begin in January 2024.
The postponement came after Kohberger waived the right to a speedy trial.
