Accused college murderer Bryan Kohberger goes to court Wednesday as Judge John Judge hears testimony on the defense’s motion to ban cameras from the courtroom and opposition to that motion from multiple media outlets.
Prosecutors in the case have already filed in support of the defense motion, although for different reasons, as CrimeOnline reported.
While the defense argued that media outlets were blatantly violating a previous order about how they could visually cover the trial — including alleging that some tabloid-style media outlets used sensationalist headlines while amateur criminologists took images from proceedings and focused them on Kohberger’s crotch — prosecutors said they were more concerned that cameras would stifle witnesses who were already slated to deliver sensitive and difficult testimony during the trial.
“The State fully understands the enormous value that responsible media has in helping the public to understand the true facts of what occurs in court,” Prosecutor Bill Thompson wrote. “The State believes, however, that those ends can be accomplished without the need for camera/video images, or the physical presence of cameras in the courtroom.”
Thompson wrote that he is “concerned that allowing the presence of cameras in the courtroom will have a substantial chilling effect on the ability of witnesses to openly, fully and candidly testify about some horrible occurrences.”
At least 20 media organizations — including The Associated Press, the Idaho Press Club, CNN, NBC, and multiple local outlets — filed in opposition to the defense motion, arguing that they had “faithfully followed the Court’s instructions” about courtroom coverage, including the order not to focus exclusively on the defendant, and that the violators of those instructions were not legitimate members of the media.
090823 Intervenors Opposition to Motion to Remove Cameras From Courtroom by kc wildmoon on Scribd
“The examples provided by Mr. Kohberger in his motion are not representative of actual media coverage, thus the premise of his motion fails,” the court filing reads.”
The filing argues that even if cameras were banned from the courtroom, media outlets could use file photographs of the defendant in their coverage and that “neither the Court nor Intervenors can control the social media users who take the still photographers’ and video camera operators’ images and post them online with unflattering content.”
“Mr. Kohberger argued that he is ‘entitled to defend himself against capital charges without cameras focused on his fly’ (Motion at 5), but no photographs or camera coverage focused on Mr. Kohberger’s ‘fly,'” the document says. “Rather, one random X user (formerly Twitter) modified a photograph showing Mr. Kohberger and a deputy entering the courtroom by cropping it to a very small size, focused on his belt, and adding a reference to Mr. Kohberger’s fly. Id. at 3.
“Even the cropped photograph does not focus on Mr. Kohberger’s fly, however. And Intervenors and the members of the public who are interested in but unable to attend these proceedings should not have their access to live court proceeding curtailed simply because of social media posts made by one or a few unknown and unaffiliated individuals.”
The intervenors opposition was accompanied by declarations from several individuals associated with the media organizations.
Kohberger is accused in the November 13, 2022, murders of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. He has pleaded not guilty.
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[Featured image: Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom during a hearing Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. (August Frank/Lewiston Tribune via AP, Pool)]
