A Georgia judge has ruled that court proceedings in Leilani Simon’s trial for the murder of her 20-month-old son Quinton Simon will not be livestreamed.
Prosecutors had asked the Judge Tammy Stokes bar cameras from the courtroom, citing privacy concerns for Quinton’s surviving siblings, while defense attorneys had said they were concerned about their mother’s right to a fair trial, WTOC reported.
On Monday, Stokes only banned livestreaming and said she would make a decision about playing back recorded videos from the courtroom later.
Also on Monday, Quinton’s grandmother, Billie Jo Howell, was on hand to hand over eight journals belonging to her daughter that had been subpoenaed by the prosecution. Leilani Simon reportedly wrote the journals while at a treatment center after Quinton’s death. Stokes said she would review the journals to determine if they can be used later in court.
She also said she has obtained the Department of Family and Children Services records she ordered handed over last week and will also review them. Those documents pertain o Leilani Simoand her son, her mother, Leilani’s other two children, and their fathers.
Leilani Simon reported her son missing on October 5, launching an extensive 6-week search that ended when the boy’s body was found in a Chatham County landfill. Simon arrested and charged with murder on November 21.
Read CrimeOnline’s previous coverage on the case.
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[Featured image: Leilani Simon, left, and Quinton Simon/Chatham County Police Department]