Federal courts are essentially closed to cameras. In 1972, the Judicial Conference, the rule-making body of the federal judicial branch, banned photographs and television cameras from all federal courts. A three-year pilot program allowed the electronic media in civil courtrooms in selected district and appellate courts in the early 1990s. Most declined-only the 2nd and 9th circuits acted to permit such coverage. While a few federal district court judges have determined that they have discretion to allow camera coverage of civil proceedings, such access remains the exception rather than the rule.
State courts have their own history of audiovisual coverage.
Following a 1981 Supreme Court decision that held that electronic media coverage of state court cases does not inherently violate the due process rights of witnesses or defendants, more and more states began to open their courtrooms to cameras. In recent years, legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate to allow cameras into federal court proceedings. The successful television coverage of a high-profile New York state trial also has given leverage to camera proponents. Early last year, the judge presiding over the trial of four police officers accused of killing Amadou Diallo ruled that the state ban on television coverage was a violation of the First Amendment. He permitted the trial to be televised-a critical move in light of the change of venue from the Bronx, where the shooting took place, to Albany.