CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: D.C. area sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad has a court hearing just about three hours from now in Manassas, Virginia. Ah, they're going to set a trial date today. CNN's Jeanne Meserve is covering that case.</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the Virginia courtroom where John Allen Muhammad could be tried. The media, including CNN, argue that video cameras should be in here, so the public, that was so deeply affected by the sniper story, can see how the case plays out.</s>BARBARA COCHRAN, RADIO & TV NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION: The number of people from the public who can get in to observe a trial firsthand is very, very limited. And so by putting the television camera into a court it allows the entire public who's interested to be able to see what's happening.</s>MESERVE: The have been many televised trials, O.J. Simpson's the most prominent among them. Many people, including John Muhammad's lawyers, argue that cameras diminish the chance of a fair trial because they distort the performance of the judge, the jury, the witnesses and the lawyers.</s>PETER GREENSPUN, JOHN MUHAMMAD'S ATTORNEY: I've had expo with cameras in the courtroom before. I oppose it. I think it does change the behavior, probably of the attorneys, who may be used to it subconsciously, but of everybody else who's not used to it significantly. It is a distraction.</s>MESERVE: In fact, there is no empirical evidence that cameras have an adverse effect on trials. The decision will be up to the judge, who will have to weigh John Muhammad's right to a fair trial against the public's right to know. Jean Meserve, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.</s>COSTELLO: And, of course, stay with CNN for live coverage of that hearing for sniper suspect John Muhammad. That's coming up later this morning, probably around 9:30 Eastern Time.
Sniper Suspect John Muhammad Has Court Hearing