Kim Zolciak’s son, 15-year-old KJ Biermann has been denied a closed courtroom trial for his sodomy and sexual battery case.
KJ was arrested after his female classmate alleged that he had tried to force himself on her.
Judge denies KJ Biermann’s request to close courtroom while granting other privacy protections
As reported by Page Six, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge has denied KJ’s move to have a closed courtroom trial. According to court documents, the judge dismissed the request after “finding that the high legal standard for permitting a closed courtroom was not met by Defendant.”
Leftridge also denied KJ’s request to prevent prosecutors from presenting information from his juvenile court case. The judge ruled that the limited information was relevant to the court’s consideration of his bond request.
However, the court has granted KJ’s appeal to restrict media recording and photography. The restrictions will apply only to the extent necessary to enforce the court’s protective measures. Additionally, the court has also granted protections for KJ’s juvenile court records. It has ordered that those documents “shall be filed under seal,” and thereby out of public view.
The teenager was arrested last month on seven charges: aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, three counts of aggravated sexual battery against a child under 16 and false imprisonment.
KJ’s arrest followed a female classmate alleging that he had sexually assaulted her in a co-ed sauna on April 23. The alleged victim claimed that KJ had repeatedly tried to have intercourse with her by trying to pull down her pants. She also accused him of forcing oral sex and digitally penetrating her vagina.
However, KJ’s lawyer, Jason Sheffield, said in a statement that his client is “100% innocent”. KJ’s mother, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Kim Zolciak has supported her son in the court.
The court has released KJ and placed him under multiple restrictions.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
