Sun Co. of San Bernardino v. Superior Court
Opinion
Opinion
The Sun Company of San Bernardino (petitioner) is the publisher of The Sun, The Evening Telegram and The Sunday Sun-Telegram, newspapers of general circulation in San Bernardino County. The Progress-Bulletin Publishing Company (petitioner) is the publisher of The Ontario Daily Report and the Pomona Progress Bulletin, newspapers of general circulation in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. Both publishers seek annulment of an order re publicity made by the San Bernardino Superior Court (respondent) prohibiting the news media from printing the names and photographs of several witnesses called by the People (real party in interest) in a murder trial.
The main attack on the order is that it violates freedom of the press.
On April 21, 1972, Frederick Castillo was stabbed to death while confined in the state prison known as the California Institution for Men at Chino. On May 26, 1972, an indictment was returned and filed by the grand jury charging Fred Steve Mendrin and Donald Ray Hale (real parties in interest) with his murder (Pen. Code, § 187). The defendants entered pleas of not guilty. The matter was set for a jury trial.