Attorneys for accused University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger asked a judge to ban cameras from the courtroom for “the remainder of the proceedings,” complaining that journalists have not complied with a court directive to avoid focusing on him in court.
In a Friday letter to Judge John Judge, Kohberger lawyer Anne Taylor noted that “camera-wielding courtroom observers have failed to obey” an earlier directive by the judge, according to Fox News Digital.
Taylor argued that “press observers have thus far failed to comply with the court’s direction, as the continued publication of images such as those shown below continues to the present day,” citing three images made available by Reuters and the Associated Press.
Cameras’ “continued exclusive focus” on Kohberger also provides “fodder” for those on social media “who are not bound by notions of journalistic integrity and who have potentially an even greater reach than traditional media outlets,” his legal team said, adding that media coverage could prejudice a potential jury pool.
Kohberger, 28, waived his right to a speedy trial during a status conference Wednesday.
His trial which had been slated to begin Oct. 2 has been delayed.
Taylor told the judge that she may not be ready for the trial
Prosecutors have accused Kohberger of breaking into an off-campus home in Moscow on Nov. 13, 2022 and stabbing to death four University of Idaho students: Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Ethan Chapin, 20.
A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf earlier this year.
