Defense attorneys first sought appellate review of Graf’s rulings in May, after he denied their request for a blanket prohibition on cameras during the case.
The defense also asked Graf to postpone the preliminary hearing until the Utah Supreme Court decided whether it would hear the appeal, but that request was denied.
In its filing with the state’s high court, the defense again sought to delay the hearing pending the appeal, the PM noted further.
In an earlier ruling, Graf determined that requests for electronic media coverage would be evaluated on a hearing-by-hearing basis rather than through a blanket policy.
Under his order, news organizations must submit requests to use cameras or other electronic equipment at least 14 days before a scheduled proceeding, while either party may ask the court to restrict or prohibit such coverage. Graf retains final authority over those decisions, said the outlet.
Following the procedures established in the judge’s earlier ruling, the defense sought to bar cameras from covering the preliminary hearing.
Graf rejected nearly all of the defense’s requests.
The judge granted only one motion, ruling that a media outlet that filed its request to take still photographs during the opening day of the hearing would not be permitted to do so because the application was submitted one day after the court’s filing deadline, noted the Post Millennial.
