Judge Limits Access To Sect Leader's Trial

News4Georgia.com/December 31, 2003

Brunswick, Ga. -- A federal judge is limiting who can sit in the courtroom during the upcoming child molestation trial in Brunswick of Nuwaubian leader Malachi York.

U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal says the courtroom will be closed to everyone except the media and the parties involved in the case. The judge also ruled Tuesday that York's supporters will not be able to demonstrate outside the courthouse.

His supporters and other members of the public will be able to view the trial on closed-circuit television.

York is accused of molesting children at his group's farm in Putnam County. The trial, which was moved to Brunswick because of pretrial publicity, begins Monday.

Tuesday, York fired all but one of his five lawyers. Adrian Patrick is the only one of York's lawyers still officially on the case.