| Author | Message | ||
     Alison Citizen Username: Alikoz Post Number: 185 Registered: 8-2002 |
Oh dear--this sounds aweful. (From nj.com)}} In Seton case, objections to TV Judge to decide whether to bar cable channel's coverage of fire trial Thursday, September 07, 2006 BY BRIAN T. MURRAY Star-Ledger Staff Prosecutors, defense attorneys and victims involved in the fatal dormitory fire at Seton Hall University are opposing plans by the Court TV cable network to televise the trial of two former students charged with setting the blaze. Superior Court Assignment Judge Patricia K. Costello in Newark will hold a hearing today on whether to grant a request the cable channel filed last month to cover the trial. Jury selection could begin as early as Sept. 22 for Joseph LePore and Sean Ryan, who are accused of starting the Jan. 19, 2000, fire in a third-floor lounge of Boland Hall in South Orange that killed three students and injured 58 others. Essex County prosecutors filed the first objections to Court TV coverage two weeks ago, and followed up last week with a letter written by a lawyer for Dana Christmas, a former resident assistant at Boland Hall who was seriously burned in the blaze. "She has been through a great ordeal and has a enormous amount of courage, but was quite upset to hear that she might have to face television cameras when recounting this traumatic experience," wrote attorney Cynthia Matheke. Rachel Gran, an assistant prosecutor trying the case, filed additional papers contending it will be difficult enough for the victims to testify and possibly display their scars in an open courtroom without a national television audience viewing. Gran also wrote that the families of the three 18-year-old students killed in the blaze -- Frank Caltibilota Jr., John Guinta and Aaron Karol -- are concerned about crime scene and autopsy photos being televised. "Try to look at if from my point of view or the point of view of his family," said Candy Karol, mother of Aaron Karol, yesterday. "I don't want my son's autopsy photo or a picture of the crime scene on TV for me to see, for his family to see or his girlfriend or his friends to see... People want to remember him as he was." State Supreme Court guidelines state that judges should permit broadcasting, televising, recording and the taking of photographs during court proceedings. The rules contend that media access should not be barred because of the objections of interested parties. However, the guidelines include restrictions in cases involving juveniles, child custody issues and sex assault victims. Prosecutors are urging the court to extend the exception to cover the victims in the Seton Hall case. Salvatore Alfano, a co-counsel for LePore, notified Costello last week that the defense team will join the prosecution motion to bar Court TV coverage. "Examination and cross-examination of the injured parities will be difficult enough without cameras in the court. And it must not be overlooked that the defendants' constitutional right to a fair trial hangs in the balance," he wrote. Marlene Dann, an executive vice president at Court TV, said there are alternatives to an outright ban on the network's coverage of the Seton Hall case. The cable channel, she said, has covered other trials under court-ordered arrangements that bar only some aspects of a trial from being televised. "We're obviously very sensitive to these issues. We always abide and clearly respect what the judge rules," Dann said. The Sept. 22 trial start before Superior Court Judge Harold Fullilove is only a tentative date because the judge has been asked to first resolve several pre-trial issues raised by the prosecution and defense. Prosecutors contend Ryan and LePore, now both 25, were freshman roommates at Boland Hall when they set the fire on a lounge couch during a night of drunken horseplay. Each defendant faces a minimum prison term of 30 years if convicted on charges of felony murder, reckless manslaughter, arson and aggravated assault. They have repeatedly denied setting the fire. Their lawyers contend the blaze may have been triggered by a discarded cigarette, and that Ryan and LePore became targets for detectives who were under pressure to bring charges in one of the largest criminal investigations in Essex County history. | ||
| Kibbegirl Citizen Username: Kibbegirl Post Number: 766 Registered: 5-2003 |
I enjoy watching several cases on CourtTV and I don't recall, even through the OJ trial, autospy photos being shown on t.v. Who decides what cases are shown on CourtTV? Also, I was under the impression that this case had been decided on long ago. | ||
| Alison Citizen Username: Alikoz Post Number: 186 Registered: 8-2002 |
I wasn't really thinking about the autopsy pictures--more about the students and the privacy of the community in general... | ||
| Kibbegirl Citizen Username: Kibbegirl Post Number: 768 Registered: 5-2003 |
When this story happened, it was in the papers, including the Boston Globe. I'm not sure what the national attention was to it overall. It's a horrible thing for all of the families to relive again, especially on t.v. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6123 Registered: 1-2004  |
Another black eye for our community thanks to Seton Hall students! | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 3523 Registered: 9-2003 |
I've just about had it with you and your venom toward Seton Hall JTA. This was a horrible, tragic, incident with lifelong effects on countless people. Your post is cold, heartless and lacks any semblance of compassion. Shame on you. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6128 Registered: 1-2004 |
SOlady, you're right. I apologize. My post was meant to be sarcastic. When I first read Alison's post I thought she was talking about the privacy of South Orange. By the time I realized she might have meant the SH community it was too late to delete my post. I was one of those that went to help shortly after the fire. I collected different things for the students, brought food to the families at the hospital and donated miles so families could get here to be with their kids. I also picked up families from the airport and drove some students to the hospital; more then once. On more then one occasion, I spoke to Bill about some kind of memorial, a bench, some trees, a garden maybe, for the students in Grove Park. Although he told me something would be done, it never was. I hope the students who started the fire spend the rest of their life in jail. Thier careless and thoughtless act destroyed many lifes. | ||
| Politicalmon Citizen Username: Politicalmon Post Number: 271 Registered: 9-2005  |
This should be broadcast in its entirety regardless of material and circumstances. This was a tragedy and getting it out over the mass media is the only way to educate and inform others what can happen when you mix alcohol & underage drinking during a post celebration with irresponsible wise guys. I know someone who grew up with one of the perps in Florham Park and she stated he has been a trouble maker from day 1 - the other reason Essex County Prosecutor's office is trying to stop the broadcast is it would show in plain site their deficiencies - why did this take this long to come to trial? What did SHU have to do with the delays? The fire at the nightclub in Rhode Island killed more people happened after and has finished the judicial process already. What was the delay here in Essex County? Does this have anything to do with the cozy relationship between Joey D our corrupt county executive who had a no show job at Seton Hall? Or is it just their incompetence, either way the longer it takes the more of our tax money that will be siphoned off - remember Essex County Prosecutors office budget is ranked #1 in the state and double that of Bergen county which is ranked #2. There is a lot of politics behind this hiding under the rock | ||
| Kibbegirl Citizen Username: Kibbegirl Post Number: 771 Registered: 5-2003 |
Unfortunately, this stuff happesn far too much in academia. I think parents are being too soft on their kids when it comes to unacceptable behavior and adult repsonsibilty. Once they are released from home, they act like wild animals who have never had any social contact with the outside world. Not until someone is severely injured or killed, do the parents and headmasters take notice. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6130 Registered: 1-2004 |
According to today's Ledger the case will be on Court TV, with some restrictions. No showing of the victim's testifying, and no showing of the autopsy. Politicalmon- I'm interested in what caused the delay's as well. Was it SH? The defendants? The prosecution? I hope those responsible get what they deserve. I'm wondering if they are so innocent why their lawyers didn't have them take lie detector tests? If they are innocent, one would think the lawyers would like nothing more then to wave the results of a lie detector test in everyone's face. | ||
| Joe Krause Citizen Username: Wkrause3 Post Number: 39 Registered: 5-2005 |
JTA It seems that most of your points don't hide your utter contempt for Seton Hall. I don't think you have much of a chance of removing the school from the town so lets try a change of thought patterns. Someone who sits back and thinks about the way things SHOULD be is an idealist. Someone who sees a problems and thinks of REAL ways to fix them is a realist. Which one are you JTA? | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6144 Registered: 1-2004 |
Joe What is your problm? Which pos are you responding to? Please show me which of my posts in this thread (except the first one which was due to a misunderstanding) I said something 'should' be done about SHU? With the exception of the town having a memorial for the students killed and injured. I'm curious to know what you did to help the college after the fire. I've already posted what I did. And yes, I hope those responsible for the fire get what they deserve. How does that show comtempt for SH? | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 761 Registered: 5-2005  |
JTA maybe you should go back and read the posts you have on other threads about SHU and you will see that whether or not you mean it, it comes out negative. Just the fact that you were the one to start this thread just says to me that you couldn't wait to get a negative story out yet again. If I'm wrong sorry but that is my perception. BTW a neighbor and very good friend of my daughter was in the fire...her room was only a few doors down from the fire where the kids died. She was heroic in my opinion, she kept her head about her and saved lives...when the fire was on she got as many kids in her room sealed the cracks in the door with blankets towels duct tape etc.and went to the window and hung a sheet out to attract attention. A person from the neighborhood ran over with a ladder and she and the students with her escaped out the window onto an air conditoning unit and were rescued. We gave her and other students clothing and contributed to the fund SHU started to help them. Stories like that are what shows what Seton Hall kids are made of. | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 762 Registered: 5-2005 |
JTA sorry I just noticed that you did not start this thread... but you should be aware that you have the reputation for being anti SHU. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6152 Registered: 1-2004 |
Psychomom- I pretty sure Joe saw my name on a post in this thread and just assumed I was bashing SH again.  If not, why wouldn't he post his note in a thread I actually posted a note that bothered him because it was against SH? Luckily there were students like your daughter's friend kept their wits about them to help the other students. Another hero was Dana Christmas. I'm sure there were other heroes nobody knows about. I'm not the only one who pasts against SH. I'm not 'anti SH;' I think I just might be a little more outspoken about my feelings. If my family didn't have ties to SH; I wouldn't complain. I think my feathers ruffled by some of the students who think the town owes them something. I'm not going to get in that debate here because it's about the fire and I don't want to shift the subject. (I was about to mention I didn't start the subject; but noticed you saw that) LOLThat's, OK. I might have thought the same thing. | ||
| AntoninaKC Citizen Username: Antoninakc Post Number: 262 Registered: 5-2005  |
I am ruffled by residents who think SHU owes them something. | ||
| Irvington Pirate Citizen Username: Irvingtonpirate Post Number: 88 Registered: 6-2005 |
JTA - You've really crossed the line this time. Bull you didn't mean it! Sarcastic my butt! You meant every word you typed and you know it. If you truly did attend (and I shudder to think even graduated) then Seton Hall is the one who needs to be embarrassed that they admitted such a cold and heartless person. Turn in your degree (if you even got one) and cut off your ties. Three young men DIED in that fire! Others were hurt and scared for life. And in your mind that somehow embarrasses the town? Your hate and venom toward SHU is unreal. Why would someone who supposedly attended the university have such feels of hatred? No one who attends any university feels the hatred you feel toward SHU. You say you were being sarcastic, bull to that. You say nothing to suggest that you were being sarcastic (and anyone connected with the university, especially at the time of the fire would NOT be sarcastic about anything having to do with this tragic event). Instead you go on to describe everything you supposedly did and what a noble citizen you were. Please, spare me! Please, stop saying anything about Seton Hall, good, bad or indifferent because you don't have a clue about what you are talking about. |
