Carlee Russell charges: Will cameras be allowed in the courtroom?
"Carlee" Nichole Russell, 25, vanished after telling a family member that she was stopping to check on a child she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway. (Hoover Police)
HOOVER, Ala. - The judge in the Carlee Russell false statements' case will not be allowing cameras in the courtroom.
Russell is scheduled to appear in Hoover municipal court next month charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement, both Class A misdemeanors.
Birmingham station WBRC, a FOX affiliate, reports its request to record the proceeding were outright denied based upon a long-standing policy of no cameras being allowed into the courtroom there.
CARLEE RUSSELL'S BOYFRIEND TELLS HIS SIDE OF THE STORY: 'THIS IS MY LAST TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS'
Hoover Municipal Court Judge T. Brad Bishop wrote to the station that the policy has been in place since before his tenure began in 1990.
"I have never allowed the use of cameras, tape recorders, or any recording devices to film, photograph, or otherwise record court proceedings," the judge wrote. "The policy remained unchanged since my appointment, and I have no intention of changing it."
Due to the interest in the case, the judge says he will release a limited number of seats within the courtroom.
Carlee Russell's disappearance
The search for Russell began the night of July 13. That night, she called 911 and then spoke to a family member, saying that she saw a young child walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Market 11 in Hoover.
MOVIE BASED ON CARLEE RUSSELL'S REPORTED DISAPPEARANCE RELEASED AFTER ONLY 2 MONTHS
Carlee's mother said her daughter was on the phone with a family member when she pulled over to check on the child.
While the family lost contact with Carlee Russell, the line remained open.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell's red Mercedes still running by the interstate, but they were unable to find her or a child in the area.
Investigators say no children had been reported missing in the area.
Police say a witness reported seeing a man standing beside Russell’s vehicle just before officers arrived at the scene.
After news of her disappearance spread, a private donor came forward to offer a $25,000 reward, in addition to the $5,000 being offered by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama. That reward eventually increased to $55,000 and then to over $63,000 with the support of around 60 other donors, the New York Post reported.
$63K RAISED IN CARLEE RUSSELL SEARCH WILL NOT BE REFUNDED
When was Carlee Russell found?
On July 15, two days after her disappearance on Interstate 459, Russell showed up at the front door of the home in Hoover she shared with her parents.
She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and then released back to her family.
Carlee Russell made abduction-related internet searches, police say
In the days before her disappearance, authorities said she searched for information on her cellphone about Amber Alerts, a movie about a woman’s abduction and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee.
Her phone also showed she traveled about 600 yards while telling a 911 operator she was following a 3- or 4-year-old child in a diaper on the side of the highway, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said.
PARENTS SAY CARLEE RUSSELL ‘FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE’ AFTER DISAPPEARANCE
Prior to her disappearance, Russell allegedly took a robe and toilet paper from her job.
Speaking with the TODAY show, Russell's parents stated they believe their daughter was "absolutely" abducted. Days later, Russell's lawyer turned over a written statement to Hoover police stating she fabricated the story of her kidnapping.
Russell was charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement, both Class A misdemeanors.
This story was reported on from Atlanta.