TV Coverage Is Uncertain for Pastor’s Trial

The Rev. Wiley S. Drake, the Southern Baptist pastor who is facing criminal misdemeanor charges for aiding the homeless, will face his accusers Monday.

Whether the nation will be able to follow the proceedings on television, however, is still in question.

City Prosecutor Gregory P. Palmer, who has charged Drake with nine counts of code violations and illegal camping, has filed a challenge to block Court TV, the national cable network, from taping the trial.

“Did you see the O.J. trial?” Palmer asked in response to a question about televised trials. “It turns it into a circus. People start thinking about how they are perceived on the outside instead of thinking about the evidence. And the attorneys play to the cameras.”

Court TV will be sending an attorney to argue the network’s case during pretrial motions Monday in Division Four of Orange County Municipal Court in Fullerton.

Drake has been cited for allowing the homeless to camp at his church, First Southern Baptist in Buena Park.

Drake’s case involves only misdemeanors, with maximum penalties of six months in jail and $1,000 fines on each count, but is fascinating because of the timely social issues involved, said Lynn Rosenstrach, spokeswoman for Court TV.

“There are so many angles,” she said. “The 1st Amendment, the rights of the homeless, how municipalities deal with them--this is a national issue making headlines across the country.”

Rosenstrach said Drake has become a “well-known, controversial figure.” Besides being involved in homeless issues, he is a leading voice in the Southern Baptist Church’s boycott against Walt Disney Co.

Drake’s attorney, Jon Alexander, said he and his client would welcome Court TV cameras in the courtroom.