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Judge rules against cameras in sniper suspect trialMuhammad trial will begin in October 2003
MANASSAS, Virginia (CNN) -- A Virginia judge on Thursday denied a request from broadcasters to televise the trial of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad, saying such coverage could compromise Muhammad's right to a fair trial. Additionally, Prince William County Circuit Judge LeRoy Millette Jr. set an October 2003 date for the start of Muhammad's trial in the shooting death of a man at a Manassas gas station. Media outlets, including CNN, had petitioned the judge to allow Muhammad's trial to be televised, but both defense and prosecuting attorneys opposed the move, fearing cameras would unnecessarily disrupt the trial. Millette said the defendant's right to a fair trial is "paramount," and the presence of cameras could intimidate witnesses, affect the behavior of attorneys and possibly influence jurors. Representatives of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, which filed the initial petition to allow cameras, said outside the courtroom that they were disappointed, and that no case had ever been overturned because of the presence of cameras in 20 years of televised trial history. They said an appeal is under consideration. At two hearings earlier this year, the judge prohibited video cameras from the courtroom but allowed a still camera. Muhammad's attorney unsuccessfully objected to the presence of the camera, saying photographs of his client in prison garb could prejudice prospective jurors. In setting the October 14 trial date, Millette set aside eight weeks for the trial itself, although attorneys said they expect the trial to last six weeks. Muhammad spoke only to answer "yes, sir" to Millette's questions as to whether he was willingly waiving his right to a speedy trial in the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers. Law enforcement officials have accused Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, in a series of sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington, D.C., metro area earlier this year, leaving 10 dead and three wounded. The pair have also been linked to slayings in Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia. Malvo will first face trial in neighboring Fairfax County for the Oct. 14 murder of FBI analyst Linda Franklin outside a Home Depot store. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft decided to send the pair, captured at a Maryland interstate rest area, to Virginia for prosecution. In their court filing, Muhammad's attorneys said Ashcroft made his decision "not to address a fair trial process on all issues, but rather upon the assumption that Prince William County, Virginia, would provide the greatest assurance that Mr. Muhammad would receive the death penalty as easily and quickly as possible." -- CNN Producer Mike Ahlers and Correspondent Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.
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