A case currently before the Indiana Court of Appeals could have a precedential effect on the process judges must go through before prohibiting the broadcasting of court recordings, as a northern Indiana TV station argues for answers as to why it was banned from airing a court-provided recording of a sentencing hearing in a high-profile case.
Fort Wayne TV station WPTA filed a brief late last month in the case of WPTA-TV v. State of Indiana v. John C. Mathew, 35A02-1705-CR-01060, urging the appellate court to vacate an order from Huntington Circuit Judge Thomas Hakes that prevented the station from broadcasting the audio recording of a sentencing hearing made by the trial court. The hearing was for John C. Mathew, a prominent physician who pleaded guilty to two counts of felony sexual battery against a former employee.