COURT TV MAY COVER CAPE GIRARDEAU MAN'S TRIAL

COLUMBIA -- The trial of a Cape Girardeau man accused of assaulting a police officer in a June incident that escalated to a near-riot in the Good Hope area did not begin Tuesday as scheduled. However, when the trial does take place it could garner national media attention.

Court TV, a New York-based cable television channel, has asked a Boone County judge to allow it to broadcast the trial of Greg Campbell.

Campbell, 35, of 1732 Northwoods Court, is charged with assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. Both charges are felonies.

Campbell was one of several people arrested in connection with an altercation with Cape Girardeau police June 11 in the 300 block of Good Hope. According to police, a crowd of about 150 people pelted officers with bricks and other debris as they attempted to arrest Campbell and his brother. Six police officers were injured in the incident.

Campbell's trial was slated to begin Tuesday at the Boone County Courthouse, where it had been moved on a change of venue request from Campbell's attorney. However, Circuit Judge Gene Hamilton, who is presiding over the case, granted a request from prosecutors for a delay Friday.

In a letter dated Jan. 4, Court TV asked Hamilton for permission to set up audio and video equipment in his courtroom for the trial. The letter was filed with the court Jan. 5. Hamilton has not yet acted on the request.

The Court TV representative who faxed the request to the court declined to discuss with a reporter Tuesday how the channel became aware Campbell's case, why it is interested it or if it will definitely provide coverage.

"We don't discuss programming decisions, so I can't comment," said Michelle McAuley, an associate producer with Court TV.

Court TV, which specializes in coverage of trials and legal issues, appears on cable television systems nationwide. No cable systems in the immediate Cape Girardeau area offer the channel as part of their basic package.

Campbell's attorney, Stephen Wilson of Cape Girardeau, said neither he nor his client object to Court TV's request.

"That's fine," Wilson said. "We will do the same things we would normally do."

Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle doesn't oppose the possibility of the channel covering the trial either. However, he said it won't yield the sensational drama Court TV producers might be looking for.

"I think they would be terribly disappointed at how boring this trial will be," Swingle said.

Cape Girardeau television station KFVS has also asked for permission to bring cameras into Hamilton courtroom.

Hamilton will reschedule the trial some sometime in February, March or April, depending on the schedules of the various involved parties.

Swingle asked for a continuance Friday in order to have time to depose 17 potential defense witnesses. Wilson submitted his list of witnesses Jan. 6. He said the witnesses developed only recently.

In his motion, Swingle said evidence and potential witnesses should have been disclosed by July 29. He asked Hamilton either to exclude the witnesses from testifying or postpone the trial. Hamilton chose the latter course of action.

Campbell faces a penalty of 10 to 30 years or life in prison on the assault count, and up to one year in the county jail or one to five years in prison and, or a fine of up to $5,000 on the resisting arrest charge.