Darrent Williams Trial: No Cameras or Blogging Allowed

Twenty-five-year-old Willie D. Clark, who is charged with the murder of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year’s Day 2007, is scheduled to appear in court this summer.

The high-profile case, however, has forced the judge to implement several bans concerning the media.

Denver District Court Judge Christina Habas has banned cameras from her courtroom, along with blogging, Tweeting, and other online updates concerning the case.

“There is a significant risk that those communications would be utilized in order to place witnesses, parties, attorneys, jurors or Court staff in physical jeopardy,” the judge said in her statement.

Audio recordings will be allowed.

“In the Court’s view,” wrote Judge Habas, “this microphone serves a legitimate purpose of allowing contemporaneous reporting to the public of the proceedings in the Courtroom, with little or no potential of creating a dangerous situation to any witness, juror or staff.”

Two rows in the courtroom will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis to media members, and interviews will be permitted.

Clark, a member of the Crips gang, faces “first-degree murder, sixteen counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm , sixteen crime of violence counts (sentence enhancer), and two counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender”, according to Broncomadness.com, along with several drug charges.

He was arrested shortly after Williams’ murder, but wasn’t charged until October 8, 2008.

The trial is scheduled to start July 6.

Thanks to NBC 9 News out of Denver, Examiner.com (out of St. Louis), and The Associated Press for the information and quotes used in this piece.

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