Judge allows camera in capital murder trial of man accused of killing NKC police officer
A Clay County judge will allow the media one pool camera in the upcoming capital murder trial of a man accused of killing a North Kansas City police officer during a traffic stop in July 2022.
During a hearing Friday morning, Judge David Chamberlain denied the request by the public defenders representing 27-year-old Joshua T. Rocha to “regulate” the media by limiting news coverage.
They had asked that audio and visual coverage be prohibited during all phases of the trial and still photography be limited to only “non-evidentiary portions” of the trial, which would have excluded the presentation of evidence and witness testimony.
The Kansas City Star and other local media opposed the request, contending that it would have effectively prohibited media coverage.
Chamberlain said Friday he would issue a media and decorum order similar to one he issued last August that would allow a pool camera but no audio. The media would have to abide by a court operating rule regarding cameras in Missouri courts, which prohibits video or photos of the jurors.
“It’s critically important when the government takes the ultimate act of asking for the death penalty that the public be allowed to see firsthand the basis for that,” Bernard Rhodes, an attorney representing the media, said after the hearing. “So we are very pleased that the court recognized the right and need of the public to observe firsthand what happens in the upcoming trial.”
During the hearing Friday, Chamberlain also addressed other courtroom decorum issues, including whether police officers could wear their uniforms while attending the trial. Chamberlain said only law enforcement officers testifying or those there on official capacity, like courtroom security, could wear uniforms.
Officers attending the trial as spectators would need to be dressed in street clothes, not in uniform, Chamberlain said.
Clay County prosecutors have accused 27-year-old Rocha of fatally shooting North Kansas City police officer Daniel Vasquez on the morning of July 19, 2022. The 32-year-old officer had pulled over a vehicle with an expired license plate.
Prosecutors initially charged Rocha with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. In March 2023, prosecutors filed a notice that they would seek the death penalty.
The jury for the trial is to be selected from St. Charles County, with final selection to begin in mid-September. The trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 29 and is expected to last two weeks.
