Attorney for Hot Car Death Dad Says Media Has Poisoned Potential Jurors

The attorney for a Cobb County man accused of leaving his son in a hot car to die so he could live a ’child-free lifestyle’ says media reporting of his client’s case has made it harder for him to get a fair trial and wants some pre-trial motions closed to the media.

Justin Ross Harris was inside a Cobb County courtroom for the first time in over a year on Monday morning, while attorney Max Kilgore argued for the media ban during hearings where the prosecution’s evidence is presented. The motion is one of several that are expected to be ruled on by Wednesday, WSB-TV reports.

Kilgore said the media’s reporting on the case had led the public to condemn his client before a single juror has been seated, and argued that letting the media in on evidence hearings could allow evidence that eventually gets dismissed to appear in various publications despite it being inadmissible in court, further tainting the jury pool.

Cobb County Judge Mary E. Staley has been hesitant to support any reduction in media access to the courtroom, ruling against a total ban argued for in an earlier motion because it was far too broad.

More Patch coverage of the death of Cooper Harris and investigation into Justin Ross Harris:

• One Year Later, No Trial Date Set for Hot Car Death Dad
• Over 100 Pieces of Evidence for Smyrna Hot Car Death Trial
• Prosecutors: Father Charged in Boy’s Hot Car Death Wanted ‘Child-Free Life’

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Harris’ defense team wants to suppress evidence of a conversation Harris had with his wife while in Cobb police custody. Additionally, the defense team wants to sever charges Harris faces for allegedly sexting an underage girl from the main murder trial.

Harris was indicted by a grand jury on Sep. 4, 2014 on eight counts relating to the June 18, 2014 death of his son Cooper, who investigators say was left alone in a hot car for seven hours while his father was at work. Harris pleaded not guilty to all eight counts against him in October.

Prosecutors argued during a July 3, 2014 probable cause hearing that Justin Harris wanted a “child-free life.” A detective on the stand noted Harris had been sexting girls, one as young as 17 years old, throughout the day while he was at work.

During testimony, Det. Phil Stoddard noted Harris had two life insurance policies on Cooper’s life and prosecutors argue they’ll show Harris was having financial trouble.

Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced in September of 2014 that the state would not seek the death penalty against Harris if he is convicted.