Adams County Judge Robert Adrian denied a petition sought by local media outlets to unseal motions in the first-degree murder trial of Timothy Bliefnick.
According to documents obtained by Muddy River News on Friday, Adrian denied the joint petition brought by Quincy news media outlets Muddy River News, WGEM-TV and The Herald-Whig to open court records after Adrian issued a blanket ruling to seal all motions and hearings pertaining to evidence in the case, citing the “extensive publicity” associated with the case.
In his ruling on Friday, Adrian said a change of venue would potentially taint the jury pool and lead to a change of venue from Adams County. Adrian’s order seals all court motion automatically and then he reviews them to determine if they pertain to evidence. If they are considered evidentiary, they will remain sealed until a verdict is reached in the case. In his motion, Adrian said all evidence will be publicly heard during the trial.
Muddy Rivers News says that the outlets are considering an appeal.
The Bliefnick murder trial is slated to begin on Monday, May 22nd.