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Media cameras will be allowed in the courtroom if a civil lawsuit accusing former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill of groping goes to trial as scheduled on Monday.
Members of the media met with court staff on Friday to discuss how and when cameras can be used to capture both video and still photographs.
Hill and his four female accusers can be captured on camera, Judge Patrick Dietrick said. However, jurors, potential jurors and other people not a party to the lawsuit cannot be filmed.
The lawsuit stems from an alleged incident in March 2018 in which a state lawmaker and three state government staffers accused Hill of inappropriately touching them without their consent during a party to celebrate the end of the legislative session at a bar in Indianapolis.
Hill has consistently denied the allegations.
A special prosecutor was assigned to the case and chose not to bring criminal charges. But the Indiana Supreme Court found in 2020, after a disciplinary commission complaint, that Hill had committed criminal battery. It suspended his law license for 30 days.
Hill went on to lose his re-election bid that year by failing to win the Republican nomination. He also sought the Republican nomination for governor in the spring but placed last among six candidates.
Plaintiffs Niki DaSilva, Samantha Lozano, Gabrielle McLemore and former Rep. Maria Candelaria Reardon first filed a civil suit against Hill in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, but it was dismissed in 2020. The case was re-filed in state court.
Jury selection is set to begin Monday, with opening statements and proceedings to follow.
No livestreaming will be allowed during the trial.
Media organizations will participate in a pool, meaning one outlet will be in charge of capturing video of the trial and another will be in charge of still photography. They will then share their work product with other media organizations which are part of the pool.
Laptops and cell phones will also be allowed in the courtroom for reporters to take notes.
The case is Gabrielle McLemore, Mara Candelaria Reardon, Niki DaSilva et al v. Curtis Hill, 49D12-2007-CT-022288.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle contributed to this report.
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