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Judge Rules Against Cameras in Courtroom in Peterson Murder Case
Aired August 18, 2003 - 13:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An important ruling today in the Laci Peterson murder case. A preliminary hearing for Scott Peterson is scheduled for next month. You've heard about that. When it happens, though, you won't be seeing it live here on CNN or anywhere else, because cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.
Our David Mattingly live in San Francisco with more on this ruling.
David -- was this a surprise?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it just depends on what side you're on. The prosecution had argued that there should not be cameras in the courtroom, so they're probably very happy with today's ruling.
Again, the judge has decided that there will be no cameras in the courtroom when Scott Peterson goes to a preliminary hearing in September. And he summed up his argument saying that he did not want to turn a serious criminal proceeding into a reality television program.
There were two things clearly on the judge's mind when he made this decision: First of all, the need to find an unbiased jury and protect Scott Peterson's right to a fair trial; secondly, the privacy rights for witnesses and the victims in this case.
He wrote: "It involves members of the public who never asked to be involved in a high-profile case and who would, under almost all circumstances, retain significant privacy rights in having their likenesses broadcast over national television."
He went on to say: "It involves the victim's families, who will be forced to relive their worst nightmare in a very public way," he acknowledges, "which is unfortunately necessary to the process." But then he decided, "Televising these passionate proceedings is not, however, necessary to that process."
We have been able to show you video of Scott Peterson in the courtroom so far, because of a single camera that the judge has allowed inside to tape the proceedings. That tape has then been taken outside and distributed to news organizations for broadcast. But that is about to be a thing of the past.
Laci Peterson's family, no doubt, is very happy with the judge's ruling today. Last week, they put out a statement reminding everyone how much pain it would cause them to have the details of Laci's death broadcast to a national audience. They reminded everyone, saying that this is not a news story to them. This is their life.
So, the judge listening very closely to what the Rocha family had to say about this and deciding there will be no cameras in the courtroom for the preliminary hearing in September -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David, is it way too early to say what this might mean ultimately for cameras during a trial?
MATTINGLY: It is too early to say, because that preliminary hearing is where the prosecution will bring out witnesses, investigators, to tell us a little bit of what kind of evidence they have against Scott Peterson. The judge will then decide if that evidence is enough to hold him over for trial.
So, again, all of these decisions that have to be made for the trial will be made after that preliminary hearing, if the judge decides there is enough evidence to put Scott Peterson on trial for the murders of his wife and his unborn son.
O'BRIEN: David Mattingly in our San Francisco bureau, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Murder Case>
Aired August 18, 2003 - 13:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An important ruling today in the Laci Peterson murder case. A preliminary hearing for Scott Peterson is scheduled for next month. You've heard about that. When it happens, though, you won't be seeing it live here on CNN or anywhere else, because cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.
Our David Mattingly live in San Francisco with more on this ruling.
David -- was this a surprise?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it just depends on what side you're on. The prosecution had argued that there should not be cameras in the courtroom, so they're probably very happy with today's ruling.
Again, the judge has decided that there will be no cameras in the courtroom when Scott Peterson goes to a preliminary hearing in September. And he summed up his argument saying that he did not want to turn a serious criminal proceeding into a reality television program.
There were two things clearly on the judge's mind when he made this decision: First of all, the need to find an unbiased jury and protect Scott Peterson's right to a fair trial; secondly, the privacy rights for witnesses and the victims in this case.
He wrote: "It involves members of the public who never asked to be involved in a high-profile case and who would, under almost all circumstances, retain significant privacy rights in having their likenesses broadcast over national television."
He went on to say: "It involves the victim's families, who will be forced to relive their worst nightmare in a very public way," he acknowledges, "which is unfortunately necessary to the process." But then he decided, "Televising these passionate proceedings is not, however, necessary to that process."
We have been able to show you video of Scott Peterson in the courtroom so far, because of a single camera that the judge has allowed inside to tape the proceedings. That tape has then been taken outside and distributed to news organizations for broadcast. But that is about to be a thing of the past.
Laci Peterson's family, no doubt, is very happy with the judge's ruling today. Last week, they put out a statement reminding everyone how much pain it would cause them to have the details of Laci's death broadcast to a national audience. They reminded everyone, saying that this is not a news story to them. This is their life.
So, the judge listening very closely to what the Rocha family had to say about this and deciding there will be no cameras in the courtroom for the preliminary hearing in September -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David, is it way too early to say what this might mean ultimately for cameras during a trial?
MATTINGLY: It is too early to say, because that preliminary hearing is where the prosecution will bring out witnesses, investigators, to tell us a little bit of what kind of evidence they have against Scott Peterson. The judge will then decide if that evidence is enough to hold him over for trial.
So, again, all of these decisions that have to be made for the trial will be made after that preliminary hearing, if the judge decides there is enough evidence to put Scott Peterson on trial for the murders of his wife and his unborn son.
O'BRIEN: David Mattingly in our San Francisco bureau, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Murder Case>
