ST. LOUIS _ A lawyer for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens' former lover, as well as prosecutors, said Thursday that they would oppose cameras in the courtroom during Greitens' trial.
Scott Simpson, one of the woman's lawyers, said that she was trying to maintain her privacy as much as possible.
Jim Martin, Greitens' lawyer, said that he had not discussed the issue of cameras in the courtroom with his client, and St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison said the issue would be dealt with later.
Asked why prosecutors opposed cameras, Susan Ryan, spokesman for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, wrote in an email: "Our country has a long history of the kind of courtroom drama that cameras in the courtroom can provoke. We believe cameras in the courtroom could potentially compromise the ability for both the victim and the defendant to receive justice."
The discussion came during a wide-ranging hearing over a series of issues, mainly concerning what material held by prosecutors and investigators working on their behalf would be turned over to the defense team.
Defense lawyers have been complaining for weeks about a contract with an outside investigator working for Gardner that potentially limits the generation of written reports, and their concerns that material favorable to Greitens wouldn't be turned over to them.
For just as long, prosecutors have vowed to turn over everything required by law.
Martin said the defense wanted a series of records from William Don Tisaby, a former FBI agent who now runs Enterra LLC, before his deposition Monday. Martin mentioned a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday revealing that Tisaby had been investigated for bigamy and lying to the FBI during his time there.
Chief Trial Assistant Robert Dierker said prosecutors would not be calling Tisaby as a witness, and Burlison ultimately decided he wouldn't allow Greitens to call Tisaby and then cross-examine their own witness with information from his FBI personnel file.
Martin was also seeking information on Gardner's new chief investigator, Anthony Box, who worked briefly as an Enterra contractor before being hired by prosecutors.
Outside court, Ryan said Box's hiring was already under discussion before news of Greitens' affair leaked.
After the hearing, Martin declined to speculate about whether Greitens would support allowing cameras in the courtroom.
He said, "We're very confident in our case," and reiterated what prosecutors have already said _ that they don't have the nude or semi-nude allegedly taken of Greitens' lover. Under questioning by a small gaggle of reporters, Martin also said Greitens did not have the picture either. He then ended the interview.
Greitens was indicted last month on an invasion of privacy charge that says he took a nude picture of his former lover without her consent and threatened to release it if she ever mentioned his name. Greitens has admitted the affair but denied blackmailing the woman. The accusations have also spawned a legislative inquiry.
