ALLEN COUNTY — Cameras will be permitted in the courtroom for the first time in the high-profile Delphi Murder Trial after an order was issued on Tuesday.
Broadcast cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom as Richard Allen, the man charged with killing Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi in 2017, stands before Judge Fran Gull in Allen County on Thursday.
Allen's lawyers previously asked a judge to allow cameras in court for all future proceedings, however, prosecutors expressed "serious concerns" to this request, stating that it would be distracting.
They claimed that allowing cameras would create a "circus atmosphere" where 15-second video clips could give an inaccurate impression of the justice system.
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Despite these concerns, Judge Gull ruled to allow cameras in the courtroom during Thursday's hearing, according to court records.
Only news media, defined as a newspaper, periodical, press association, radio station, television station, or wire service will be permitted to broadcast the hearing.
Judge Gull made the following statement in the order:
"The Court has determined that allowing recording of the October 19, 2023, hearing is permitted provided that the means of recording will not distract the participants or impair the dignity of the proceedings, and the hearing itself is a non-confidential proceeding. The Court, therefore, authorizes the recording and broadcasting of the hearing set for October 19, 2023."
Thursday's hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m.
