Motion Requests Cameras In Court And End To Gag Order
Attorney Guylyn Cummins filed a request with Judge William Mudd for an urgent hearing on the matter. Mudd ruled last week that future motions in the Westerfield case will be sealed until hearings scheduled for May 6. The judge also ruled there would be no live TV coverage of the pretrial hearings in the case. Trial is set to begin May 17. Another judge placed a gag order on investigators, attorneys and other participants in the trial. Cummins' motion asks Mudd to unseal the pretrial motions, lift the gag restrictions and allow cameras access to the pretrial hearing. The motion argues that the trial is of tremendous public importance because Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and killing Danielle van Dam and could face a possible death sentence if convicted. Allegations of police misconduct have also surfaced in the case.
The motion argues that public access to trial proceedings is constitutionally protected and the judge has not presented any overriding reasons for sealing the pretrial motions or gagging trial participants. It also argues that there is no compelling reason to deny camera or electronic access to pretrial hearings.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m.