CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Broadcasters Association was granted a motion to gain access to video and audio recordings that are introduced during the federal trial of West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.
U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver, who is presiding over the trial, granted the broadcasters association’s limited motion to intervene on Thursday afternoon.
The motion was meant to make the material available to radio and television stations, as well as other West Virginia journalists, for distribution to the public to provide greater context during the historic trial.
Lawyer David Barnette of Jackson Kelly filed the motion on behalf of the broadcasters association on Tuesday. It specifies that the recordings would first be introduced into evidence and played for the jury.
Federal prosecutors, in filings before the trial began, suggested they would introduce voice mail recordings from Loughry to federal investigators as well as text messages.
The court on Thursday afternoon turned over two audio clips from a longer interview of Loughry that was conducted by federal investigators. The clips were played before the jury on Wednesday.
The court also turned over a video of Supreme Court history that was played Wednesday afternoon. The video, which is already publicly available, was used as evidence of the Supreme Court’s history and the role of architect Cass Gilbert.
Loughry faces 22 charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, witness tampering and making a false statement to federal investigators. The charges have to do with his use of a state vehicle and state-issued gas card for his private travel as well as an antique state desk kept in his home.