ST. LOUIS – No video cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during the trial of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, per a ruling by Circuit Judge Rex Burlison on Thursday.
Citing concerns that video recording devices could be cause for security concerns in an already high-profile case, Burlison said that with the governor in the courtroom, it “causes an additional security risk.”
Both the prosecution and the governor’s alleged victim have objected to the use of video cameras during the trial, with attorneys citing concerns for privacy.
Burlison said he would consider a request to allow audio recording and still photography after an attorney requested him to reconsider.
Greitens’ trial starts May 14, centering on an invasion of privacy charge stemming from an extramarital affair in 2015. Greitens stands accused of taking a partially nude photo of the woman while she was bound and blindfolded in the basement of his home.
Mark Sableman, the attorney representing news media, says he is disappointed in the ruling, calling video an “anti-spin antidote.”
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
