Motion to limit trial publicity

Motion to limit trial publicity

If counsel's case has attracted an unusual amount of public interest, as is often the case with computer crime, he or she should move to limit or control news coverage at the trial.

The client, particularly if he or she is working in a sensitive area of computer use or has a good reputation in the community, may be hurt by pretrial publicity long before the issue of his or her guilt or innocence is considered by a jury or the court.FN69

With the growing use of television inside courtrooms, and the sensational nature of computer crime coverage, it is particularly important to demand reasonable limitations on the methods used by the media in reporting the case. In support of such demands, it can be argued that cameras and television equipment interfere with orderly courtroom proceedings and should be excluded.FN70