State v. Prestridge

The defendant in this case is charged with the crime of first degree murder and faces the possibility of the death penalty. The evidence presented with defendant’s writ application, which includes evidence that this case has already received extensive pretrial publicity, establishes a reasonable likelihood that defendant’s right to a fair trial will be substantially prejudiced by a hearing open to the press and public of defendant’s motion to suppress confessions, admissions or inculpatory statements. As stated in State v. Birdsong, 422 So.2d 1135 (La.1982):

“... Our Code of Criminal Procedure…