Overview
- Judge John Roach Jr. signed the restrictions Friday, citing Sheppard v. Maxwell to support limits aimed at preventing prejudicial publicity.
- Only nine reporters may sit in the courtroom at one time, and all photography, video, audio recording, and livestreaming are banned.
- Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. with staggered entry for media, family, and the public, with credentials and seating assigned by the county public information office.
- The order forbids photographing, naming, or contacting jurors or witnesses, and it limits interviews to designated areas after the trial if participants agree.
- The trial is set for June 1 in Collin County, and the 17-year-old defendant faces 5 to 99 years or life if convicted of first-degree murder.