As Expected, Judge Denies Cameras in Courtroom for Delphi Double Murder Trial – The Daily Reporter

By Maura Johnson, Indiana attorney

Special Judge Frances Gull has issued a final order banning cameras from the courtroom when Richard Allen goes on trial for a double murder later this month. This decision reflects the judge's previous denial of camera access to many preliminary hearings.

All are accused of murdering 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams in February 2017 in a closely watched case that has drawn media attention across the country.

In an administration and decorum court order issued Monday, Gull ruled that no photographic, video or audio recording devices will be allowed in the Carroll Circuit courtroom during the trial. These devices are only permitted outside the courthouse.

“The purpose of this order is to secure the defendant's constitutional rights to a fair and impartial jury while allowing the public and the press to exercise their First Amendment rights. “Furthermore, the order protects the identity of the jurors,” Gull wrote.

Additionally, all electronic devices, including tablets, laptops and electronic watches, are not permitted in the courtroom. However, a system was put in place to allow reporters into the courtroom.

The latest ruling follows Gull's trend of denying on-camera access for all but one Richard Allen hearing on October 19, 2023. She has denied camera access at all subsequent hearings, citing “unauthorized filming and broadcasting of pre-hearing activities” on October 19, 2023. 19.

Allen's trial once promised to be the highest-profile trial in Indiana history, captured live by television and streaming cameras.

But Judge Gull ultimately decided to deny access based on a new state rule passed in February 2023 that allowed judges to decide whether to allow cameras in their courtrooms. Cameras were previously banned.

Both broadcasters and judges had successes and failures with the adjusted expectations. Both sides specifically noted the benefits of using a pool camera in the courtroom, where a single camera records the proceedings and distributes the content to other news outlets, ultimately limiting the number of cameras in a courtroom.

In August, the Indiana Supreme Court's Office of Communications, Education and Public Relations released a survey detailing how the first year of the revised rule had gone for justices and members of the media.

The survey found that 88% of the 43 media outlets surveyed and 85% of the 67 judges surveyed described the cameras in the courtroom initiative so far as “good” or “great.”

Court staff cited the usual “growing pains” in the first year of the rule, while some judges expressed concerns about the handling of ineligible parties in the courtroom.

On Tuesday, the News Media Coalition, comprised of outlets including The Associated Press, WTHR and The Indianapolis Star, filed a motion in the Delphi murder case, requesting access to public records for the July 30 and Aug. 1 pretrial hearings in October and other hearings related to the case.

In the order, the coalition emphasized the public's interest in the exhibits, citing, among other things, the court's rejection of courtroom cameras in previous proceedings, arguing that the media should now have the opportunity to view the public records.

The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 17 in Carroll County, with jury selection scheduled for Oct. 14-16 in Allen County.