Vote: Do You Want Cameras in Criminal Court Rooms?
The decision is being heralded for its transparency, but will it come at a cost to individual rights?
The Illinois Supreme Court has given the state’s circuit courts the right to allow filming during trial proceedings. With the permission of judges within Cook and Will counties, Southland news media sources would be able to bring television and still cameras into courtrooms to shoot certain criminal cases. By issuing a few ground rules off the bat, the high court has resolved a few of the immediate issues pitting transparency against the rights of individuals. After an interview with Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride, Illinois Statehouse News notes: Illinois had been only one of 14 states that did not allow cameras to record criminal trials. The high court’s decision is being considered as part of a pilot program and …
Chester Rook
2:29 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I don't like this idea at all. While it's true trials are open to the public, anyone that has an interest or is that concerned is more than welcome to wake up and get down to the courthouse on their own. Televising something like this brings up privacy issues and would more than likely create a lot of anxiety for anyone testifying. I would strongly advise AGAINST bringing cameras into the … more ›