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Special Judge Frances Gull has issued a final order banning cameras from the courtroom when Richard Allen stands trial for a double murder later this month, a decision that reflects the judge’s earlier denial of camera access to many pre-trial hearings.
Allen is 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 from across the country.
In a courthouse management and decorum order issued on Monday, Gull ruled that no photography, video or audio recording devices will be allowed in the Carroll Circuit Courtroom during the trial. These devices will only be permitted outside the courthouse.
“The purpose of this order is to secure the defendant’s constitutional rights to fair and impartial jury while permitting the public and the press to exercise their First Amendment rights. In addition, the order protects the identity of jurors,” Gull wrote.
In addition, all electronic devices, including tablets, laptops, and electronic watches, will not be allowed in the courtroom. But a system has been established to allow reporters in the courtroom.
The latest ruling follows Gull’s trend of denying camera access for all but one Richard Allen hearing on Oct. 19, 2023. She has denied camera access at all subsequent hearings, citing the “unauthorized filming and broadcasting of pre-hearing activities” on Oct. 19.
Allen’s trial once held the promise of being the most high-profile court proceeding in Indiana history to be allowed to be captured live by television and streaming service cameras.
But Judge Gull ultimately decided to deny access under a new state rule adopted in February 2023 that allowed judges to decide whether cameras will be allowed in their courtrooms. Previously, cameras were banned.
Both broadcasters and judges have had successes and failures with the adjusted expectations. In particular, both sides noted the benefits of using a pool camera in the courtroom, where a single camera captures proceedings and distributes the content to other news stations, ultimately limiting the number of cameras in a courtroom.
In August, the Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Communication, Education, and Outreach published a survey detailing how the first year of the amended rule went for judicial officers and members of the media.
The survey found that 88% of the 43 media respondents and 85% of the 67 judicial respondents said the cameras in the courtroom initiative is “good” or “great” so far.
Court staff cited usual “growing pains” in the first year of the rule, while some judges expressed concerns about managing non-authorized parties in the courtroom.
On Tuesday, the News Media Coalition, comprised of media outlets including the Associated Press, WTHR, and the Indianapolis Star, filed a motion in the Delphi murder case requesting to inspect exhibits submitted into the public record for the pre-trial hearings on July 30 and August 1, the October trial, and other hearings related to the case.
In the order, the coalition emphasized the public’s interest in the exhibits, citing in part the court’s denial of cameras in the courtroom in past proceedings as to why media should have the ability to inspect the public record now.
The trial is set to begin on Oct. 17 in Carroll County, with jury selection scheduled for Oct. 14-16 in Allen County.
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