From the Brunswick News:
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"Attorneys look to limit publicity in murder case
10/20/2009
By MARY STARR
The Brunswick News
Attorneys for Guy Heinze Jr. have filed a number of pre-trial motions in his murder case, one of which would bar attorneys and law enforcement personnel from talking publicly about the case or to the media.
In a motion to control prejudicial publicity, Joseph W. Vigneri and Charles M.J. Nester of the Georgia Capital Defender's Office argue that in the weeks since Heinze was arrested for the murder of eight people and the attempted murder of a ninth victim in a trailer park at New Hope Plantation, "there has been massive, highly prejudicial publicity on both a local and national scale regarding this case."
Heinze's attorneys also allege that there has been "exceptionally prejudicial publicity emanating almost exclusively from state officials and court proceedings."
In addition to the gag order, in the motion Vigneri and Nester ask that Brunswick Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Amanda F. Williams, who has been assigned to hear the case, issue orders that exclude members of the media from all pre-trial hearings. They also ask that all records and transcripts in the case be sealed until a jury has been impaneled and sequestered or until after the trial, and prohibit the use of any cameras during pre-trial court proceedings.
The motions were filed Sept. 28.
Petitioning for gag orders and other relief is not uncommon in death penalty cases.
During the pre-trial phase of the Edenfield trial, Glynn County Superior Court Judge Stephen H. Scarlett ruled against requests by defense attorneys to have the pre-trial events closed to the media in the matters of David Edenfield, Peggy Edenfield and George Edenfield, the three family members accused of molesting and murdering 6-year-old Christopher Michael Barrios Jr. March 8, 2007.
The Brunswick News joined other media outlets in filing a successful counter-motion.
Glynn County District Attorney Stephen Kelley told The News last week that pre-trial hearings in the Heinze case are scheduled to begin in the next few weeks.
Heinze, 22, was arrested and charged with the murders of seven family members and a friend in a single-wide trailer at New Hope Plantation Aug. 29 and the attempted murder of a 3-year-old Byron Jimerson Jr., the son of the victims.
The state is seeking the death penalty against Heinze, who was indicted on eight counts of murder by a Glynn County grand jury Sept. 14.
Glynn County police contend that Heinze is the sole person responsible for the gruesome slaughter in the trailer, where he also lived.
Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said in September, following analysis of the data by the state crime lab, that all of the victims had been beaten to death.
The victims were Guy Heinze Sr., 46, the father of Guy Heinze Jr.; Russell Toler Sr., 44; his children, Chrissy Toler, 22, Russell D. Toler Jr., 20, Michael Toler, 19, and Michelle Toler, 15; Russell Toler Sr.'s sister, Brenda Gail Falagan, 49; and Chrissy Toler's boyfriend, Joseph West Jr., 30."
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Not sure about the "exceptionally prejudicial publicity emanating almost exclusively from state officials and court proceedings.". I'm amazed the world has passed by this incredible story so quickly. I know there is much more I would like to know.