Trial of Minister Won’t Be Televised

A Municipal Court judge on Tuesday dashed the hopes of Southern Baptist Pastor Wiley S. Drake, who would have welcomed televised coverage of his trial for sheltering the homeless without a permit.

Without comment, Judge Gregg L. Prickett denied a motion from the Court TV network and local news stations to offer “gavel-to-gavel coverage” of the case, pitting Drake and his 150 congregants against the city of Buena Park.

Gregory P. Palmer, the assistant city prosecutor, said he was delighted with the decision.

“I don’t think cameras belong in the courtroom. The eyewitnesses will be more comfortable testifying and the case will be better presented without it,” Palmer said during a break in the ongoing jury selection.

Palmer had argued Monday that allowing cameras to tape the case against the flamboyant, attention-loving pastor would create a “circus” atmosphere and prevent a fair trial. Some witnesses, he added, said they would be afraid to testify if they would be going on national television.

Drake’s attorney, Jon Alexander, had argued that he and Palmer would conduct themselves with dignity and prevent the kind of hoopla that surrounded the O.J. Simpson trial.

Mary Haas, the attorney for Court TV, which now will not offer any coverage of the case, said she was disappointed.

“This is a case of significance to Buena Park as well as other communities throughout the country that are grappling with the same issues,” Haas said.