Cameras in the courts - finally

You know what was the weirdest thing about that story about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia expressing his views on state-sanctioned torture? He did it on camera -- and didn't demand that the shooter turn off the camera and destroy the video.

Scalia is a notorious avoider of the lens, which has always suggested to me that he is all too aware of his predecessor, Louis Brandeis's, observation that sunshine is indeed the best disinfectant.

However, because Scalia was in Switzerland, perhaps he felt the video wouldn't make it back here to the States.  What's scarier: his defense of letting the wardens run amok at Guantanamo, or the possibility that he still doesn't know what the Internet is?

Anyway, by sheer coincidence the Senate Judiciary Committee has just moved a bill that could put an end to Scalia's evasions once and for all.

Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Two Bills

To Bring Cameras into Federal Courts

 

WASHINGTON—The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed two bills that would bring cameras and microphones into federal courts, a move hailed by the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The bills, now in front of the full Senate for consideration, call for radio and television coverage of federal judicial proceedings.

 

The first bill, S. 1768, would permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings.

 

The second bill, S. 829, is the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005, which would give federal judges the discretion to permit audiovisual coverage of proceedings on a case-by-case basis under a three-year pilot program.

 

Last November, the full House passed H.R. 1751, the Secure Access to Justice and Court Protection Act, which includes provisions of the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act.

 

RTNDA has provided a sample letter to its members so they can contact their elected representatives in support of the Senate legislation.

 

RTNDA has long supported cameras and microphones in the court, and RTNDA representatives have testified before House and Senate committees on the need to open up the third branch of government to radio and television coverage. For background information, visit http://www.rtnda.org/foi/cc.shtml.

 

RTNDA, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries.