Harford Circuit Judge Yolanda Curtin on Tuesday morning denied public access to the first day of jury selection in the trial of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, charged with murder and rape in the August 2023 killing of Rachel Morin on the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air.

A Harford County sheriff’s deputy working at the courtroom Tuesday said no one other than jurors would be allowed into the courtroom due to capacity issues. According to Elizabeth Lotz, public information officer for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies in the courthouse operate under the direction of the presiding judge.

The courtroom’s official capacity is for 124 people, a deputy said, and 125 people were in the space.

During a pre-trial conference Monday, Curtin said she wished the case didn’t have so much national attention and that media coverage has posed challenges for proceedings due to concerns of seating a fair and impartial jury.

Curtin said about 130 potential jurors would be summoned to the courthouse each day of jury selection on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Anne Arundel County Criminal Defense Attorney Peter O’Neill said in his experience with courtroom capacity issues, the court livestreamed proceedings to the media in a separate courtroom. Deputies said Tuesday that a livestream of the court proceedings is not available.

“The right of the public relative to transparency in the court trumps concerns of the court about the coverage,” O’Neill said. “The public has a right to know. This is a disservice.”

Nick Cavey, public information officer for the Maryland Judiciary, said the court can deny access due to fire code capacity issues, but said that the court should allow members of the media in as jurors leave and space becomes available.

As of 10 a.m. no member of the media had been allowed into courtroom.

“The public needs to be aware of what is transpiring in the courtroom so the public aware is that the process is working,” O’Neill said. “Transparency gives people confidence in the system.”

This story may be updated.

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