Opinion ID: 515812
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Need for Evidentiary Hearing

Text: 31 Petitioner Muhammad contends as one of the grounds for granting the Writ of Habeas Corpus that the pretrial publicity generated by the news media was so pervasive that prejudice to his ability to receive a fair and impartial trial in Dade County should be presumed. Petitioner also claims that the trial court made two errors at the end of the voir dire. The first was the trial court's denial of his motion for change of venue. The second was his request for additional peremptory challenges. 32 The Florida Supreme Court twice addressed petitioner's contentions, denying relief each time. On Petitioner's first appeal of his conviction, the Court noted that [t]he trial court 'expressly determined that no showing of prejudice had been made. Additionally, we note that the trial judge was extremely liberal in excusing jurors for cause in order that an impartial trial would be secured,'  (Knight v. State, 338 So.2d 201 (Fla.1976) at 203) and appellant 'has failed to prove that he did not receive a fair and impartial trial and that the setting of this trial was inherently prejudiced.'  33 On a later review of the issue, the Florida Supreme Court found: 34 The record shows that trial defense counsel did present evidence of the pretrial publicity in support of the motion for change of venue. The denial of the motion for change of venue was reviewed and affirmed on appeal. The record also shows that defense counsel questioned prospective jurors extensively regarding any influence the pretrial publicity may have had on them. 35 Muhammad v. State, 426 So.2d533 (Fla.1982) at 537. It is thus apparent that petitioner's claims in this pretrial publicity issue have been exhausted in state proceedings and are properly before this Court. 36 Petitioner has requested an evidentiary hearing to explore the merits of his pretrial publicity claim. The standards governing whether the federal district court must hold an evidentiary hearing to determine the merits of a habeas corpus petition of a person in state custody are set forth in Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. 293 [9 L.Ed.2d 770], 83 S.Ct. 745, and Thomas v. Zant, 697 F.2d 977 (11th Cir.1983). Petitioner urges this court to grant him an evidentiary hearing on his pretrial publicity claim on the grounds that the material facts relevant to the pretrial publicity generated by his capture, escape and recapture were not adequately developed at the state court hearing. See 372 U.S. at 313, 83 S.Ct. at 757. I agree with the Report of the Magistrate which determined that petitioner did receive an adequate hearing on the issue in the trial court. 37 At the close of the jury selection defense counsel for petitioner proffered some of the evidence of the pretrial publicity from which, the defense urged, prejudice could be presumed. The proffer was not made in the presence of the jury. Defense counsel began by encapsulating film clips shown on the television newscast. The defense's summary of the television coverage of petitioner's alleged crimes included brief descriptions of the persons interviewed, the running time of the film clips, the channels on which they were shown, the times of day at which they were shown, the dates of the airings, and the estimated numbers of persons in the viewing audiences. 38 Defense counsel then repeated the process using the newspaper articles about the Petitioner and the crimes. Beginning by giving the dates of the articles, defense counsel's proffer stated whether the articles appeared on the front page, in which newspaper the articles appeared, the topics of the articles (e.g., the specific crimes, the general articles on the insanity defense, other crimes allegedly committed by the defendant, etc.), and the circulation figures of the newspapers. Defense counsel specifically mentioned certain allegedly prejudicial descriptions of the defendant which had appeared in the news stories. The trial judge heard the cumulative proffer but commented that the jurors had answered that they could give the defendant a fair and impartial trial and that the court was relying not only upon their answers on voir dire, but their expressions and mode of answering. The court also noted that there had not been great discussion in the press as to the nature of the evidence against Petitioner. 39 This Court concludes that the proceedings at the state trial level were adequate to develop the factual predicate for petitioner's pretrial publicity claim. See Coleman v. Zant, 708 F.2d 541 (11th Cir.1983) at 547 ([t]he content of and audience for television/radio media's coverage are indeed 'indispensable to a fair, rounded development of the material facts' ) (quoting Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. at 322, 83 S.Ct. at 762). 40 Further, the Court has reviewed an extensive indexed collection of television news scripts and newspaper articles compiled by petitioner and appended to his request for evidentiary hearing. Thus, the factual matter upon which the pretrial publicity claim rests is before the Court. This Court is not faced with having to rel[y] on the voir dire transcript in the absence of a well-rounded description of the local television and radio coverage. Coleman v. Zant, 708 F.2d at 547. Accordingly, the Court concludes that since the material facts were addressed at the state proceeding, and a full record with documentation of the media coverage is before the Court, an evidentiary hearing on the pretrial publicity claim is unnecessary and petitioner's request for such hearing is denied. The Court now examines the media coverage itself to determine whether it can be found to have prejudiced petitioner's trial.B. The Media Coverage
41 The Court first examines the television news scripts submitted by petitioner. The initial coverage which aired on July 17, 1974, the day of the Gans murders, cannot be said to have been unduly prejudicial because it consisted primarily of factual news reporting. Petitioner was referred to as an alleged killer or a suspect. One clip, originating from the suspect's neighborhood and shown on Channel 10, the ABC local station, mentioned that the suspect was from a black section of Opa Locka and had marital problems, but reported also that the suspect was liked by his neighbors. The same clip reported that the suspect was described by his neighbors as one who loved children. The clip concluded with the on-scene reporter stating that [e]veryone I talked to said the same thing: 'I can't believe he would do something like this.'  42 Another film that was shown on Channel 10 on July 17th at 6:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m., reported that a man is in jail charged with a brutal machine-gun slaying. 43 A news story which aired on July 17th on Channel 7, the local NBC affiliate, reported that the suspect surrendered meekly and that WCKT newsfilm showing the suspect's face has been withheld at the request of the Public Safety Department ... until witnesses can try to identify him in a police lineup. 44 Another July 17th newscast referred to the victims as a wealthy Miami industrialist and his wife. Later in the broadcast, the petitioner was referred to as an unidentified black man, the abductor, the kidnapper, and the killer. Describing the capture, the broadcast mentioned that [t]he young black man with his hair in numerous braids seemed relatively unconcerned and even smiled a few times as he was put into a car for a trip to Jackson Memorial Hospital. 45 A newscast which aired on July 17th reported that Thomas Knight was found with a weapon and the money. 46 In a newscast of July 17th it was reported that a few teenage boys said Thomas Knight was nuts, dumb ... but mostly people said he spent time on his car. 47 On July 18th, a news brief reported that [t]he suspect in the Gans kidnap murder is picked out of a lineup and arraigned. The same news show concluded by mentioning that Florida Attorney General Robert Shevin reacted to the kidnap murder today, ... calling on the Supreme Court to reinstate the death penalty. 48 A July 18th newscast show at 6:00 p.m. on Channel 7, the NBC affiliate, focused on the arraignment and stated that [t]he suspect appeared rather nonchalant as he was escorted back to his cell ... Knight appeared in a police lineup and according to Metro Public Safety officials--was positively identified as the man driving around town yesterday in the Gans' (sic) auto. The same newscast also reported that Knight's co-workers say he was basically a loner ... he was also known in the neighborhood as a quiet guy. Knight's arrest record is quite extensive, dating back to 1965 when he was placed on five years probation for a breaking and entering conviction. His (sic) had another bout with police last month when he was arrested and charged with grand larceny. 49 The remainder of the television coverage until September 20, 1974, has been reviewed by the Court. I do not find anything unduly prejudicial to the defendant in this period of television coverage, as whatever scant coverage existed focused on the factual aspects of the crime and not upon the guilt or innocence of Petitioner. 50 Petitioner became newsworthy again when he, along with ten other prisoners, escaped from the Dade County Jail on September 20, 1974. A newsclip that aired on September 20th at 6:00 p.m. reported that police were searching for nine of eleven men who escaped from the Dade County Jail, and that the men were considered dangerous. 51 An editorial shown on Channel 4, the CBS affiliate, on September 20th, complained about the lax security at the jail that allowed eleven prisoners to escape. The editorial mentioned that [O]ne still on the loose is charged with the murder of Sidney and Lillian Gans two months ago ... one of the most frightening crimes in recent local history. 52 Another September 20th newscast described the escape, reporting that 5 prisoners are still at large, including Thomas Knight, the alleged killer of industrialist Sidney Gans and his wife. All are described as extremely dangerous. 53 A newsclip which aired on September 20th at 11:00 p.m., mentioned that Knight might have been the coordinator of the jailbreak. 54 A September 21st newsclip which aired at 11:00 p.m. on Channel 7 reported that [a]mong the 3 inmates still missing is 23-year old Thomas Knight of Opa Locka. Knight is charged with two counts of murder in the kidnap-slaying of wealthy businessman Sydney Gans and his wife. Police say Knight may have been the leader of the escape. At this hour, police have set up a perimeter in the area of N.W. 27th Avenue as Knight was positively identified by 15 customers as the man who held up a food store in the area. 55 Another September 20th newscast reported that the leader [of the jailbreak] and most sought-after one, Thomas Knight, continues to follow his police predicted behavior: elusive and smart. The newscast then briefly described a holdup in which Knight was allegedly involved earlier that day. 56 Another September 21st newscast which aired at 11:00 p.m. on Channel 7 gave a description of the holdup that Knight allegedly committed. 57 While Knight was at large, there was coverage of the escape which featured on occasion Wanted pictures of Knight and brief updates of reported sightings of him. Some of this coverage mentioned in passing the Gans murders, but the Gans murders and the guilt or innocence of Knight therein was not made the focus of the Knight escape reporting. 58 On September 25th a brief mention was made of a $500.00 reward offered to anyone who turned in Thomas Knight. 59 On September 30, 1974, it was twice briefly reported that [t]oday Dade State Attorney Richard Gerstein announced a reward for information leading to Knight's arrest. Gerstein says an anonymous donor has promised 2,500 dollars for information leading to Knight's arrest. 60 On October 16th, it was reported at 11:00 p.m. that Knight had been the subject of an intensive manhunt that day after he was reputedly spotted in South Dade. The newscast reported that Knight is the most sought-after man in Dade County. He's wanted to stand trial for the brutal slaughter of a wealthy Miami couple. 61 On November 13th it was reported on the 6 o'clock news that [t]he Miami FBI office wants accused slayer Thomas Knight placed on the 10-most-wanted list ... He's now wanted by the FBI for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Georgia officials want Knight in connection with robbery and homicide. An accomplice of Knight's was captured in that case .... 62 On December 31, Channel 4 reported on Knight's capture, stating [w]hen Knight escaped from the Dade County Jail in September, he was described as cunning and vicious. But today, at a federal court hearing in Orlando, he seemed confused and was caught in a simple error. The report also mentioned that [t]he FBI says Knight is wanted for a slaying in Georgia and for several robberies, all of which occurred while he was a fugitive. 63 On January 2, 1975, Channel 7 reported on the transfer of Knight from Orlando to Miami, and stated Knight smiled and made obscene gestures to newsmen as he entered the Dade Jail. Knight was held in solitary confinement in the Orlando jail, and jail attendants said he went in a rampage last night ... tore up be[ds] and he attempted to set the mattress in his c[ell] on fire. The report mentioned in one line the murder of the Ganses and also reported that he is also wanted in Cordele, Georgia, where police say he shot and killed a liquor store clerk during a robbery.The remainder of the television coverage is not remarkable.
64 On July 18 the Miami Herald ran a front page article on the murders. The headline reported Dade Couple Kidnapped and Shot To Death. There were two portrait photos of the Ganses and a picture which showed Knight's head as he was ducking into a police car. The article contained a detailed factual account of the crime. 65 Another Miami Herald article which ran on July 18 on page 28 was headlined Good Worker, But Emotional. The article mentioned that a hat, which co-workers said belonged to Knight had been found in the executive parking lot at Sidney Gans's business. The article reported that Knight had served time in prison for a Fort Pierce burglary conviction and was awaiting trial in Dade County on a June 15 larceny arrest. The article quoted one of Knight's co-workers as stating that Knight was a good worker--a very good worker ... He was pretty witty--he joked a lot, laughing all the time. The article reported that Knight often complained to his co-workers about ... racism, because Knight felt there were a lot of anti-blacks. Another co-worker was quoted as stating that Knight was a very good worker with a very strong character, but he could be very emotional. The co-worker said that Knight once told him he could be dangerous when mad since he was a karate expert. The article concluded by noting that [c]o-workers as well as Knight's neighbors in Opa Locka expressed shock that he had been charged with the murders. 66 An article which appeared in the Miami News on July 18 was headlined 8 of 11 Identify Murder Suspect. The article briefly described the crime and Knight's earlier arrest for grand larceny for stealing roofing tiles from an earlier employer. The earlier employer was reported to have described Knight as a hardworking, hot-tempered person who had trouble getting along with others. 67 A front-page article in the Miami Herald on July 19 was headlined Kidnap-Death Suspect Was Out on Bond. The article rehashed the events surrounding the crime. It also consisted mainly of burglary charges. One of Knight's former probation officers recalled Knight as arrogant, with a chip on his shoulder. A former employee described Knight as a hothead. The article reported that Knight's neighbors described him as a quiet man who liked to tinker with his 1965 Plymouth. 68 A July 19 article appearing in the Miami News was headlined Gans Liked Giving Man With Record Second Chance. The article described the crime and Knight's previous work problem at Gory Associated Industries, where he was fired after allegedly stealing a truckload of roof tile. The article related that Knight had been picked out of a police lineup by several police witnesses, but others could not be positive in their identification. 69 Another July 19 Miami News article was headlined Murder-Kidnap Suspect Faces Jury. That article described the crime factually. 70 A July 27th article was headlined Slaying Suspect Knight Held; Trial Heads to Circuit Court. The article briefly described the crime and Knight's preliminary hearing. 71 The next important spate of newspaper publicity was generated upon Knight's escape from the Dade County Jail. On September 23, the front page of the local section of the Miami Herald was headlined Thomas Knight Tough, Smart, Free. The article briefly described the jailbreak and then reported the feelings of Knight's neighbors and his mother. The article reported that [a]ccused kidnap-murderer Thomas Knight 'could have been anything he wanted,' a friend says. A neighbor was quoted as stating [o]nce I would have trusted Thomas Knight with my apartment or my car, [n]ow I don't trust him as far as I can spit. The article continued by stating [i]t was a shock when Knight, 23, was charged with the kidnap-murder last July of a North Miami industrialist and his wife. I just couldn't believe it was the right Thomas Knight, said a neighbor for whom Knight once fixed a sewing machine. Later in the article it was reported that [h]e (Knight) chose escape, says a friend who talked with Knight after his arrest, because he saw himself in the electric chair. The things that scared him most were, one, (State Attorney Richard) Gerstein prosecuting, two, the publicity about the case. Thomas thought that there was no way to get a fair trial in Dade County or in Florida. 72 The same article, which is reported in depth here because it is one of the main sources for references to Knight that does not focus solely on the facts of the crime or the escape, continues [l]ike many felons Knight had a deep interest in law. Was a graduate of the Raiford Bar Association, you might say.' He reportedly wrote from memory a complete transcript of his hour-and-a-half pre-trial hearing. He also, a source said, wanted to direct his own trial. 73 The same article reported that [h]is tested IQ was about 100,'--average nationally, but for a disadvantaged student, indifferent to school, likely to indicate exceptional ability. The article reported that Knight's mother said I think it's something wrong with his head ... I just pray to God the police don't kill him. If I could tell him something it would be to tell him to give up. Maybe then they would have mercy and send him some place to get some help about his head. 74 The article reported that [n]eighbor Art Doyle, who used to drink beers with Knight, recalls sharing complaints about a leaking roof. Knight fixed it. He [Knight] knew nothing about cars, another neighbor said, but learned by taking apart his beige 1965 Plymouth. 75 The article briefly mentioned that Knight's life appeared to be straightening out after arrests earlier in his life. 76 The article reported that Beatrice [Knight's wife] was attractive, Knight jealous. She left him shortly before he allegedly killed Sydney Gans, owner of Sydney Bag and Paper, and Gans' wife, Lillian. When Beatrice left, My Lord, something must have exploded inside him, a neighbor said. 77 Knight was also frustrated about work, a friend said. 'Thomas used to say he'd go to work on time, do it, but no matter how good he did, he never moved up. Some cracker comes in with a diploma, first day on the job, and moves up ahead of you, he'd say.'  78 An article which appeared in the Miami News on September 23rd was headlined Everyone, Everywhere 'Sees' Fugitive Knight. The article reported numerous false sightings of the fugitive but did not contain material particularly prejudicial to Knight. 79 An article which appeared in the September 30th Miami Herald, on the front page of the local section, was headlined Manhunt: Not Glamorous, Just Tiring. The article reported that detectives who had helped capture Knight initially were also working to recapture him. The article generally described the manhunt by police and the numerous false sightings of Knight called in to police. A photograph of a Wanted poster for Knight was included. 80 The few articles about the continuing manhunt, which ran between September 30th and December 31st, were primarily factual. Knight was recaptured on December 31, 1974, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Periodically, articles detailing his recapture and his fugitive time appeared in the newspapers. An article which appeared in the December 31st Miami Herald was headlined Fugitive Knight Seized in Raid at New Smyrna. The article was a factual account of the police and FBI capture of Petitioner in a boarding house in New Smyrna Beach. While the article essentially reported the capture, it did recount the details of the Gans murders, albeit briefly and also factually. 81 An article which appeared in the Miami News on January 3, 1975, was headlined Accused Kidnapper--Slayer placed in Dade Safety Cell. A photograph of a smiling Knight flanked by guards also appeared and was captioned Laughing Knight escorted by deputies. 82 The article reported that Thomas Knight, laughing and waving obscenely at photographers, has been brought back in the Dade County Jail to await trial on murder and kidnapping charges. The article briefly recounted in two sentences the Gans murders. The article also reported that Knight is also charged with the October murder of a Georgia liquor store clerk. A Georgia Sheriff was quoted as stating [W]e want him (Knight) back up here very badly, after Dade County has a crack at him. 83 An undated January 1975 article, presumably from January 3rd or 4th, appeared in the Miami Herald headlined Georgia Police Also Want Knight. The article reported that a suspected accomplice was willing to testify that Knight was the triggerman in the Georgia shooting. The article briefly touched upon the Gans crimes, the jailbreak, Knight's fugitive time, and his prior record. The information in the article was rather detailed and factual, except for a brief section which inquired [H]ow did Knight manage to stay free for three months despite a $3,000 reward on his head and nationwide notoriety as one of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Criminals? And did his plans include a future bank robbery and the abduction of a police chief, as notes seized in his second-floor tenement seemed to indicate? 84 An article appearing in the Miami Herald around the same period in January 1975 was headlined 17 of Knights's 'Free Days' Spent in Arkansas Jail. A photo of Knight was shown with the caption Cocky and Boastful Knight Is Returned to Dade Jail. In the article, Knight is quoted extensively as having hidden his identity from Arkansas police who had jailed him for trespassing: 85 I made a fool out of the [Arkansas] police department and they showed how stupid they are. They think they're so smart and they're not. 86 They arrested me for trespassing on a train and asked me for my Social Security Number. I told them I never had one. 87 They asked me for my driver's license. I said I didn't have one. They wanted to know my mother's name. I said I didn't have a mother. They asked me for my father's name and I said I didn't know. 88 They said, 'well who raised you?' I said I came from an orphan's home. When they asked what school I went to, I told them Black Muslim School. I always give a phony name. 89 I'm glad I can use my own name now. My wife is here in Miami. I love her very much. I kept trying to call her and could never get through. Somebody told me they had her in jail. That's the only reason I swung back this way. I'm glad I got caught. I'll have a chance to see my wife. I got real lonesome and I wanted to see her. 90 The remaining articles which appeared up until Knight's trial began were not particularly significant. There was an article which rehashed Knight's alleged shooting in Georgia, an article about the similarity of the cell in which he was held in at Orlando to the one he escaped from in Miami, an article about Knight's acceptance of his court-appointed attorney, and a brief mention of a robbery charge, against Knight, which was dismissed. The articles were primarily factual accounts. 91 There were several articles which appeared during the trial, but these articles focused on an error of the trial judge, the outbursts made by Knight in the courtroom, Knight's attempts to fire his lawyers, and an editorial denouncing the death penalty as unfair. The record reflects that the judge repeatedly directed that the sequestered jury was not to read about, listen to, watch or discuss any aspect of the Knight case. There is no indication that any juror did come into contact with any of the publicity generated during the trial. In any event, the Court specifically finds that the publicity generated during the trial was not legally prejudicial to the Petitioner. In fact, the most noteworthy publicity during this period was a long editorial in the April 24, 1975 Miami News which discussed the unfairness of the death penalty as applied to Thomas Knight in particular and to poor young blacks in general.
92 In essence, the right to jury trial guarantees to the criminally accused a fair trial by a panel of impartial, indifferent jurors. Irvin v. Dowd, 366 U.S. 717, [at 722] 6 L.Ed.2d 751 at 755, 81 S.Ct. 1639 [at 1642] (1961). Where a petitioner adduces evidence of inflammatory, prejudicial pretrial publicity that so pervades or saturates the community as to render virtually impossible a fair trial by an impartial jury drawn from that community, jury prejudice is presumed and there is no further need to establish bias. Mayola v. State of Alabama, 623 F.2d 992 (5th Cir.1980) at 997. 93 Due process required the trial court to grant a defendant's motion for change of venue where the trial court was unable to seat an impartial jury because of prejudicial pretrial publicity of an inflamed community atmosphere. Rideau v. Louisiana, 373 U.S. 723, 726, 10 L.Ed.2d 663 [83 S.Ct. 1417, 1419] (1963). 94 The burden placed upon a petitioner to show that pretrial publicity deprived him of his right to a fair trial is an extremely heavy one. Coleman v. Kemp, 778 F.2d 1487 (11th Cir.1985) at 1537. To satisfy his burden even in ... sensational cases, the petitioner must, therefore, demonstrate that the populace from which his jury was drawn was widely infected by a prejudice apart from mere familiarity with the case. Mayola, 623 F.2d at 999. 95 Petitioner relies on several famous cases in which the pretrial publicity was found to have prejudiced the right of the defendants therein to a fair trial by a panel of impartial indifferent jurors. In Irvin v. Dowd, supra, the Supreme Court found that the pretrial publicity of the case had indeed prejudiced the defendant's right to a fair trial. Newspaper headlines announced [petitioner's] confessions to ... six murders ... and his offer to plead guilty if promised a 99-year sentence ... Id. [366 U.S. at 725-26, 6 L.Ed.2d] at 758 [81 S.Ct. at 1644]. In the pretrial publicity was a newspaper story that appeared the day before trial which discussed petitioner Irvin's oral admissions to additional murders. It also contained comments of petitioner's court-appointed counsel, who acknowledged the criticism he had received over being Irvin's counsel. The article further recounted the extent of the community's deep feelings as to the defendant's guilt and its hopes for punishment; comments of spectators (my mind is made up; I think he is guilty; and he should be hanged) were printed. 96 In Rideau v. Louisiana, 373 U.S. 723, 10 L.Ed.2d 663, 83 S.Ct. 1417 (1963), the Supreme Court found that a single piece of pretrial publicity was so devastating in its adverse impact upon petitioner that prejudice to petitioner's right to a fair trial was presumed and the writ of habeas corpus was granted. In Rideau, a film was made of an interview between the sheriff and the accused, who was without counsel at the time. In the film, the accused, under interrogation, admitted to certain crimes, including murder. The film was televised later that day and was shown twice more over the next two days. The Supreme Court found: 97 [T]he spectacle of Rideau personally confessing in detail to the crimes with which he was later to be charged ... was Rideau's trial--at which he pleaded guilty to murder. Any subsequent court proceedings in a community so pervasively exposed to such a spectacle could be but a hollow formality. 98 Rideau, [at 726] 10 L.Ed.2d at 665 [83 S.Ct. at 1419] (emphasis in original). 99 Petitioner in the instant cause relies on Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 16 L.Ed.2d 600, 86 S.Ct. 1507 (1966), in which the Supreme Court granted petitioner's writ of habeas corpus on a prejudicial pretrial publicity claim. Sheppard was a Cleveland physician accused of murdering his wife. Sheppard claimed that an intruder had been the killer. Sheppard claimed that he was attacked by the form, whom he then pursued unsuccessfully. Shortly after the police were notified of the murder, Sheppard became the prime suspect. The views of the Assistant County Attorney, later the chief prosecutor of Sheppard, appeared in the news, sharply criticizing the refusal of the Sheppard family to permit the immediate questioning of the suspect. Sheppard, at 338, 16 L.Ed.2d at 606 [86 S.Ct. at 1510]. From that point on, headline stories repeatedly stressed Sheppard's lack of cooperation with the police and other officials. Id. 100 One front page editorial appeared which suggested that Dr. Sheppard should have been subjected instantly to a third-degree interrogation. Id. [at 339, 16 L.Ed.2d] at 607 [86 S.Ct. at 1510]. The next day, another front page editorial appeared demanding that the coroner call an immediate inquest. Id. 101 The inquest was broadcast on live television. Sheppard was examined without counsel for more than five hours over the three day proceeding, which ended in a public brawl. 102 There was editorial coverage which directly demanded that Sheppard be arrested and jailed immediately. There appeared an editorial cartoon that depicted the accused as an untelling sphinx. The names and addresses of the veniremen were published in all three of Cleveland's newspapers. All of the prospective jurors received anonymous and identified telephone calls, as well as letters regarding the impending trial. Id. [at 342, 16 L.Ed.2d] at 609 [86 S.Ct. at 1512]. 103 A front-page story which appeared during the jury selection contained subjective material which evoked sympathy for the victim. The same article featured quotations of the chief detective in the case assuring readers that the prosecution's exhibits would speak for the victim and tell her story. Id. [at 346, 16 L.Ed.2d] at 611 [86 S.Ct. at 1514]. 104 While Sheppard was on the stand, a Captain Kerr of the Homicide Bureau issued a press statement denying allegations of police mistreatment. The press statement carried the headline Bare-faced Liar, Kerr Says of Sam. Id. [at 349, 16 L.Ed.2d] at 612 [86 S.Ct. at 1515]. 105 The Supreme Court observed that [f]or months the virulent publicity about Sheppard and the murder had made the case notorious. Id. [at 349, 16 L.Ed.2d] at 615 [86 S.Ct. at 1515]. 106 The Eleventh Circuit recently decided the case of Coleman v. Kemp, 778 F.2d 1487 (11th Cir.1985), a case not cited by petitioner but germane to this issue. The pretrial publicity in that case was so relentless and prejudicial that the court granted petitioner's writ, holding that [i]f there were no constitutional right to a change in the venue in the instant case, then one can conceive of virtually no case in which a change of venue would be a constitutional necessity. Id. at 1538. 107 In the Coleman case, four escaped prisoners from Maryland killed six members of a Georgia farm family, the Aldays, shooting five men and raping and killing the wife of one of the men. 108 The director of the state crime lab was quoted as saying that the Alday murders were the biggest deliberately planned homicide in Georgia. This quotation appeared in a front page article in the Atlanta Constitution. Id. at 1518. 109 One article quoted one of the suspects, whose mug shots and escapee status had already been prominently featured in the major newspaper of the community in which the crimes were committed, as stating that he would kill any policeman who tries to stop us for any reason. Id. at 1491. 110 A front-page article quoted the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as stating that the circumstantial evidence against the four suspects was overpowering, and [t]here's no point in looking for anybody else. Id. 111 An article in a leading local paper quoted Sheriff White of Seminole County (where the murders took place): 112 If I had my way about it, I'd have me a large oven and I'd precook them for several days, just keep them alive and let them punish ... And I don't think that would satisfy me. 113