PEOPLE v. DIXON Part I
At trial where defendant was found to be a sexually violent predator and recommitted to a secured facility under the Sexually Violent Predators Act, trial court abused its discretion in granting media's request to televise or videotape the proceedings where court failed to give adequate consideration to the factors listed in California Rule of Court 1.150 which permits media coverage only where the court reasonably exercises its discretion in accordance with that provision and particularly failed to weigh the unusual nature of a civil commitment proceeding under the SVPA. Error was harmless where defendant could not show that media's intrusion affected the jury's determination that he satisfied the criteria for recommitment. Trial court did not err in denying defendant's request to compel the prosecutor to disclose the current contact information for two prosecution witnesses who also were victims in the underlying crimes where, although he was entitled to the information under the Civil Discovery Act, he failed to make a timely demand.
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