Idaho Judge Steven Hippler says Bryan Kohberger’s family can attend upcoming trial in University of Idaho killings

Bryan Kohberger’s Family Members Allowed to Attend Quadruple-Murder Trial

Bryan Kohberger, the defendant in the quadruple-murder trial involving the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, will be allowed to have his immediate family members present at the trial, even if they are potential witnesses, a judge has ruled.

In criminal cases, witnesses are sometimes excluded from attending trials to prevent them from being influenced by other testimonies or evidence presented. However, Judge Steven Hippler emphasized that Kohberger’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial entitles him to have his parents and siblings present if they wish to attend.

“Courts recognize that having defendant’s family members present at trial advances the values served by the right to public trial, i.e., ensuring fair proceedings; reminding the prosecutor and judge of their grave responsibilities; discouraging perjury; and encouraging witnesses to come forward,” Hippler wrote.

Kohberger, a former graduate student at Washington State University, is accused of killing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves at a rental home near the Idaho campus on Nov. 13, 2022.

Prosecutors have indicated that they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is found guilty at the trial scheduled to begin in August.

Judge Hippler acknowledged the need to balance Kohberger’s right to a public trial with the state’s interest in obtaining honest testimony from witnesses. However, he noted that the risk of Kohberger’s family members altering their testimony based on trial proceedings is low, given the narrow scope of their proposed testimony and recorded interviews they have already provided.

Previously, Judge Hippler ruled that family members of the victims are also permitted to attend the trial.