Moniteau County Prosecutor’s attorney asks for closed hearing
A county prosecutor’s attorney wants to keep the public out of a court hearing next week, just days after he knew ABC 17 News would be there.
Moniteau County Prosecutor Shayne Healea is accused of driving his truck into Addison’s Restaurant in Columbia in 2014.
Healea and the State Attorney General will argue whether or not the state mishandled evidence in the case.
Three days after ABC 17 News asked to bring our camera to the courtroom, Healea’s attorney asked the judge to close it to the entire public.
Jefferson City-based attorney Shane Farrow said in his court motion that he intended to play the entirety of the video taken at the Columbia Police Department of Healea’s conversation with his attorney the night of his arrest. He called the content of that call “privileged in nature,” and “to allow the presence of the media, or any other member of the public at large would only act to further violate [Healea]’s attorney-client privilege, due process rights and right to a fair trial.”
The hearing on that issue is scheduled for next Wednesday in Macon. Farrow has asked for another hearing this Friday at 2:30 p.m. to discuss closing the courtroom.
While every courtroom is typically open for any member of the public or reporter to attend, news outlets must first get permission from a judge to bring gear like cameras into it. Circuit Judge Fredrick Tucker, who is presiding over Healea’s case after a change of venue to Shelby County, has not yet ruled on ABC 17 News’ request to bring a camera to this case, nor has he ruled on any other potential news outlet’s request.
