LITTLE ROCK — A Memphis TV reporter was ejected from the Pulaski County Courthouse near the conclusion of the Curtis Vance capital-murder trial Wednesday after Circuit Judge Chris Piazza learned she’d been filing Internet updates in violation of his order against any broadcasting from the courtroom.
Piazza banned cameras from the proceedings a month ago at the request of the defense and specifically barred using the Twitter blogging service.
But Piazza surprised court watchers Wednesday by calling Jill Monier, a reporter for WHBQ-TV, before him during a break during closing arguments.
He told Monier that his law clerk had been monitoring the Internet and shown him that Monier had been posting Twitter updates,known as “tweets,” right from the courtroom. Piazza said his first inclination was to jail her for contempt, but that alack of staffing on Veterans Day kept him from having her locked up. Instead, he ordered her out and wished her well.
“I’m going to banish you from the courthouse,” he said.
Monier left the premises, with bailiffs and deputies searching the courthouse to make sure that she was gone.
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Front Section, Pages 6 on 11/12/2009