An Open Courtroom PDF Download

Of Current Law -- Section 218 of the Judiciary Law -- Judicial Discretion -- Safeguards for Defendants in Criminal Proceedings and Parties in Civil Proceedings -- Safeguards for Witnesses -- Safeguards for Children -- Safeguards for Jurors -- Other Safeguards -- Pretrial Conference -- Equipment and Personnel Restrictions -- Appeals -- Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge -- Over View of Camera Coverage Laws in Other States and in Federal Courts -- State Courts -- 50-State Overview -- California -- Federal Courts -- Summary of the Committee's Record -- Public Benefits -- Public Education about the Courts -- Judicial Accountability and Public Scrutiny of the Judicial System -- Cathartic and Deterrent Effects -- Other Benefits -- Opponents' Views -- Nature of Televised Coverage -- Effect on Witnesses -- Fair Trial Implications -- Privacy Concerns -- Compliance by Trial Judges and the Media -- Compliance by Trial Judges -- Testimony and Public Comment -- Results of the Committee's Judicial Survey -- Office of Court Administration Data -- Compliance by the Media -- Effect of Audio-Visual Coverage on the Conduct of Participants in Court Proceedings -- Effect on Jurors -- Effect on Witnesses -- Effect on Lawyers -- Effect on Judges -- Inside the Courtroom -- Outside the Courtroom -- Committee's Assessment and Conclusions -- Public Benefits -- Compliance by Trial Judges and the News Media with the Safeguards of Section 218 of the Judiciary Law -- Judges -- News Media.