Media fights judge rules in Denison murder case

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RENO (AP) - News organizations in Reno are challenging limits on media coverage of next week's trial for the man accused of killing 19-year-old Brianna Denison and sexually assaulting two other women.

Lawyers for a Reno newspaper and TV station are scheduled to go before Washoe District Judge Robert Perry at 1:30 p.m. today. They say the limits on photographs and courthouse interviews violate the First Amendment.

Perry is worried about pretrial publicity in the two-year-old case. He wants to ban photographs of James Biela's ex-girlfriend when she testifies against the accused killer. He also wants to ban interviews on some courthouse sidewalks.

Jury selection starts Monday for the trial expected to last three weeks.