Court gives ABC access to Salcido evidence

A Sonoma County Superior Court judge on Thursday granted ABC television producers access to exhibits, including gruesome crime scene photographs, used in the 1990 trial of mass murderer Ramon Salcido.

Salcido is on San Quentin Death Row for killing seven people in Sonoma County, including his wife, two daughters and her mother.

ABC, which is producing a segment on his surviving daughter, Carmina Salcido, sought access to the exhibits, which are part of the public record, said network lawyer James C. Williams.

The collection of photos, audio and video tapes and a door were transported Tuesday to Santa Rosa from San Mateo County, where the case was tried because of publicity.

Judge Gary Nadler said they are in a locked room and will be made available to producers on Monday. They will be allowed to reproduce the exhibits at their expense, he said.

Neither prosecutors nor the Public Defender?s office objected to the release. However, both sides expressed concern about airing of photos that may show decomposed bodies or victims with their throats sliced.

Salcido, a former Sonoma winery worker, used a knife and a pistol in the killings.

?I?m appealing to the sensibilities of ABC on what they put out on this thing,? said John Abrahams, the county?s top public defender.