Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-02
Court Ban Hif
'BySpokesmen
.0fNews Media

CHICAGO. Nov. 2 tP.-Rec-
commended rejection by the
Nations lawyers Of proposals
to permit photographing.
broadcasting and televising Of
court trials ran headlong into
opposition by news media
Spokesman and by at least one
iurist yesterday.
In q 6.000-word report, q
special committee Of the Amer
lean Bar Association contended
that regardless of modern tech
niques, courtroom use Of CAM
eras and broadcasting equip
ment would divert trial
participants from the proper
objectives Of the trial.
Such practices. the commit
tee said. would Introduce ex-
traneous influences which tend
to have a detrimental psyche
logical effect on the judge and
the jury as well as on the liti-
CANT. his lawyers and wit
nesses."
Canon IS Is Criticized
At issue is Canon IS of the
ABA's Canons Of Judicial
Ethics. a 20-year-old code.
which, though not binding. has
been adopted by some State
Supreme Courts and is accepted
practice in many other courts.
Sharpest criticisms of the
report came from news media
spokesman. Review Of the
canon's restrictions had been
urged by representatives of the
press and radio and TV broad
casters.
Herbert Brucker, chairman
Of the Freedom of Information
Committee of the American
Society of Newspaper Editors.
said the committees recon-
mendation was built on q
premise that was true In 1897
but became false long before
1887"
This premise sis that photog-
raphy and broadcasting neces-
sarily and automatically de-
tract from dignity, distract
witnesses and degrade the
court" Mr.. Brucker said.
Mr.. Brucker. editor Of the
Hartford Comm Courant, said
this isn't so. :"
Judge Joins Protest
Outside the newsgathering
fraternity. Chief Justice o.
Otto Moore of the Colorado
Supreme Court also leveled an
attack at the recommendation.
In Colorado, photography,
broadcast and TV coverage Of
trials has been up to the dis
erection and under control OF
presiding judges for a year and
"a half.
Chief Justice Moore said in
a statement at Denver that
every major premise Of the
special committee "has been
demonstrated in Colorado to be
without basis in actual fact"
He said the statement reflected
his personal view.
In Washington, Harold E.
Fellows, president of the Ma
tional Association of Radio &
Television Broadcasters, said
the committees contention that
trials now are as public as they
were 100 years ago reflects an
unwillingness to recognize goth
century methods Of commune
cations"
Mr.. Fellows added in q state
ment that the NARTB would
present its side Of the ques-
ton to the ABA's House of
Delegates-the policy making
body-when the special report
is presented at the delegates
meeting in Atlanta, Ga.
Courts Dignity Unhurt"
Also in Washington, the
Radio Television News Direc-
tors Association issued state
ment saying the experience in
Colorado, as well as court tests
elsewhere, have "refuted con-
clusively the argument that
cameras and microphones
might create distractions and
disturbances.
"These demonstrations make
it evident that the courts dig
nifty is in no way impaired"
the organization said in a state
ment by President Ted Koop
and Julian Goodman, chairman
of the groups Freedom of In
formation Committee.
Mr.. Koop is director Of CHS
News and Public Affairs in
Washington; Mr.. Goodman is