Criminal
Sep. 29, 2020
Defense asks Kern County judge asked to close death penalty trial to public
If Superior Court Judge David R. Zulfa grants the defense motion, it would fly in the face of long-standing federal and state precedent that sets the bar high for closing courtrooms in criminal proceedings, said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, which filed a brief Friday opposing the motion.
Constitutional rights attorneys have asked a Kern County judge to keep his courtroom open to the public during a an upcoming death penalty trial, denouncing a defense motion that argued the proceedings should be held in private because pretrial publicity has threatened the defendant's right to have an impartial jury and to maintain social distancing.
If Superior Court Judge David R. Zulfa grants the defense motion, it would fly in ...
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