Twitter ban refused at home invasion trial

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HARTFORD, Conn., March 14 (UPI) -- The Connecticut Supreme Court Monday rejected accused home invasion killer Joshua Komisarjevsky's bid to ban Twitter from his trial.

The court refused even to hear arguments on the motion asserting that letting people "tweet" from the courtroom might taint the proceedings, NBC Connecticut reported.

Jury selection begins Wednesday for Komisarjevsky, who is accused of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters Hayley and Michaela during a 2007 invasion of their home in Cheshire.

Co-defendant Steven Hayes was convicted and sentenced to death last year. Reporters used Twitter to give constant updates during his trial.

In a motion filed Friday, Komisarjevsky's lawyers said they will use "an extremely detailed and candid" statement he gave police after his arrest, The Hartford Courant reported.

Komisarjevsky asserted he tried to help Dr. William Petit, who survived, opposed killing the family and closed off the bedrooms where the girls were tied up to "buy time" for them as the home burned. They died of smoke inhalation.

Komisarjevsky admitted suggesting robbing the home.

The motion also cites books Hayes checked out of a prison library before the crime, most of which "pertain to very violent murders to include strangulation, rape, arson, serial killing, satanic torture and the burning of victims."