MILWAUKEE — A TMJ4 Lighthouse investigation was at the center of a tense court hearing Thursday.
That story broke down a civil lawsuit filed by a man who was run over by a Milwaukee police squad during a high-speed chase.
Less than a full day after the story aired, the judge called a sudden hearing where he criticized an attorney and his client for giving interviews about a civil case against the city of Milwaukee. He fears the story could taint a jury less than two months away from trial.
It’s important to note that we often report on court cases that eventually go to trial and sometimes show dramatic video we obtain that illustrates what happened, as in this case.
"Why they picked out a case from 2020 and why they aired it two months before the trial, when my job is to ensure a fair and impartial jury for people who come to my court and ask for a trial, that is a concern of mine,” said Milwaukee County Judge J.D. Watts.
Watch: Judge questions attorney after TMJ4 report dives into civil case ahead of trial
Judge Watts acknowledged our First Amendment rights and freedom of the press but expressed frustrations about the Sixth Amendment, the right to a fair trial and an impartial jury.
Let’s revisit what this story was about. We want to warn you that the video is graphic and disturbing.
Ravid Smith was the passenger in a stolen van fleeing Milwaukee police in May 2020 when the driver ran a stop sign and hit a semi-truck.
Dashcam video shows Ravid being thrown from the van at 30th and Fond du Lac. He was left unconscious in the middle of the road.
Watch our previous coverage of this story:
The Milwaukee police officer driving the squad, Antonio Obregon, then comes to a complete stop to let his partner out to chase the driver.
Officer Obregon drove forward, right over Ravid. He told investigators he thought he was driving over accident debris. An outside investigation found Obregon was unaware he struck Ravid.
"How am I going to impanel a jury less than two months from now to hear this case when you’ve had this event, and there are clearly arguments here that can be made that there's a problem?” Judge Watts said.
William Sulton, Smith’s attorney, argued it isn’t unusual for attorneys to speak about cases before they go to trial.
"I think that's important for public education, right? People deserve to know what's happening in the courthouse,” he said. “You heard from the judge today that he in fact invited your news station to come and watch and cover some of his other cases. I'm not sure why this particular case is one that the court felt was not worthy of public consumption, but I disagree. I think a case where law enforcement is trying to apprehend someone, and that person is lying motionless on the ground and run over, is an important story to tell."
We learned today in court that the judge wants the video and transcripts from our stories to determine if the story casts doubt on the credibility of witnesses in this case. The judge said TMJ4 would receive a court order to provide that material.
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