Cameras Permitted In Zeta-Jones Pretrial Hearings

Pretrial hearings for the woman accused of stalking Catherine Zeta-jones will be televised after a judge's ruling - except when the proceedings involv

12:30 05 October 2004

Pretrial hearings for the woman accused of stalking Catherine Zeta-jones will be televised after a judge's ruling - except when the proceedings involve witness testimony. Attorneys for the Chicago star filed a 104-page motion asking the court to bar cameras because they believe media coverage would taint the jury pool and encourage copycat crimes. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department filed a motion asking judge David Mintz to bar cameras from the trial itself, which is scheduled to begin on 10 November (04), because some witnesses are undercover detectives. Mintz yet to rule on that request. Dawnette Knight, 33, is charged with one count of stalking and 24 counts of making criminal threats for allegedly sending threatening and violent letters to Zeta-jones' actor husband Michael Douglas (news). One letter reads, "We are going to slice her up like meat on a bone and feed her to the dogs." If convicted, she could face up to 19 years in prison.