Litigation

Senate Panel OK?s Bill for Televising Supreme Court

By Peter Hardin

The Senate Judiciary Committee has taken a first step toward requiring that oral arguments before the Supreme Court be televised.

On a 13-6 vote, the panel approved legislation Thursday to require televising of the formal arguments, unless a majority finds that doing so would violate due process rights, according to a Politics Daily article.

Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. and sponsor of the bill, said in a statement, ?The Supreme Court makes pronouncements on Constitutional and federal law that have a direct impact on the rights of all Americans. Those rights would be substantially enhanced by televising the oral arguments of the Court so that the public can see and hear the issues presented.?

Supportive remarks by several Republican co-sponsors also were included in that statement on Specter’s Web site.

Also advanced by the committee was a resolution stating the view that the Supreme Court should televise arguments, according to The Blog of Legal Times. A third measure passed by the panel would allow cameras in courtrooms if they were permitted by chief district and appellate judges.

To learn more about cameras in the courtroom, check out Gavel Grab.

Full post as published by The Gavel on April 30, 2010 (boomark / email).