FLEMINGTON, New Jersey (AP) — A tape of a 911 call made after a fatal shooting at the home of former NBA basketball star Jayson Williams should be made public immediately, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday.

Attorneys for the Courier News of Bridgewater had sought the tape, arguing that it should be released under the state's open records law.

Williams, 35, is charged with first-degree manslaughter and other offenses in the Feb. 14, 2002, shooting death of limousine driver Costas Christofi. Williams could face nearly 55 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office had argued that releasing the tape would make it difficult to pick a jury.

The justices said upholding that argument "would seal every government record associated with a criminal investigation until the trial has been completed and all potential appeals have been exhausted. Such a prospect would directly contravene the citizen's right of access to government records."

The judges said New Jersey's Supreme Court has long held that extreme pretrial publicity does not prevent an impartial jury, and that the state's recently adopted open public records law applied to criminal proceedings.

Representatives of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The newspaper is seeking an unedited copy of the 16-minute call made by Williams on the night of the shooting on Feb. 14, 2002. At the trial, prosecutors plan to play an "enhanced" version of the tape.

Williams was among the NBA's best rebounders when leg injuries led to his retirement from the New Jersey Nets in 2000. After the shooting, he was suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

No trial date has been set. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 20.