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The special judge in Richard Allen’s murder trial next month has denied three more news organizations from accessing the proceedings with broadcast cameras.
On Wednesday, Special Judge Frances Gull denied “Requests for Recording of Court Proceedings by News Media” for WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, ABC57 News in South Bend and News Media Coalition, which includes members like the Associated Press, Getty Images, the Guardian Media Group and Thomson Reuters.
Gull has not yet made an official ruling denying all cameras in the courtroom, according to court documents.
Broadcast cameras were granted access to a hearing in October 2023 but have yet to be allowed back in since.
Gull has only allowed camera access to one of Allen’s courtroom hearings. That was on Oct. 19, when several TV stations worked together to have Court TV provide pool camera coverage for all participating broadcasters.
The judge then denied courtroom cameras for an Oct. 31 hearing.
The court docket cited “unauthorized filming and broadcasting of pre-hearing activities in the Courtroom” at the Oct. 19 hearing as the reason. Courtroom camera requests from NewsNation, Law and Crime, Court TV and WTHR were all denied for the Oct. 31 hearing.
Earlier this month, Gull rejected a request from WISH-TV Channel 8 in Indianapolis.
Allen is accused of murdering 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams in Delphi in February 2017.
The two girls were hiking along the Delphi Historic Trail near the Monon High Bridge when they went missing. Their bodies were found the next day.
Allen was arrested in October 2022.
His trial is set to begin on May 13 in Carroll County.
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