Victim of the Oklahoma City bombing desperately wanted national TV coverage of the trial of Timothy McVeigh, but it wasn't allowed. Even Fred Goldman and Johnnie Cochran, two men who don't always agree about trials, both want camera coverage of federal courts. Under present law, TV coverage of federal proceedings at both the trial and appellate level is now effectively banned, and television coverage of federal civil proceedings is severely curtailed. Between 1991 and 1993 several federal courts conducted a pilot television project with great success. The project found that judges were neutral about allowing cameras, but after experiencing televised proceedings firsthand, became more favorable to the idea.
Cameras allow citizens to see their judicial system at work.
48 states already allow cameras in the courtroom. Cameras in the courtroom benefit the victims of crimes. The New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , former Attorney General Griffin Bell, and scores of columnists and policy analysts have endorsed cameras in the courtroom. It is not supposed to be mysterious to the public it serves. Making it more accessible, and promoting greater public understanding of the complex questions it addresses, is the best way to honor the institution.