State v. Bianchi

Both the defense and the prosecution appeal from a Superior Court order permitting The Bellingham Herald to intervene for limited purposes in a highly publicized criminal action. We hold that such intervention in a criminal proceeding is improper.

In January 1979, the defendant, Kenneth A. Bianchi, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Interest in the case was heightened by speculation in the press as to a connection between the defendant and unsolved homicides in another state. In order to ensure the defendant's right to a fair trial, both the prosecution and the…