Miscellaneous

Will the Supremes Say Cheese?

By Anne Skove, Esq.

While it snows here, in DC the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act.

We are psyched that Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is such an expert on cameras in the courtroom. We've been following the issue for a long time, and frankly we thought we were alone in this exciting (to us!) pursuit!

The arrival of the young and photogenic Chief Justice Roberts has led some to believe that cameras would follow soon after. We just hope that Justice Souter didn't really mean it when he said over his dead body.

Would cameras fundamentally alter the Court? Already it's covered from head to toe by reporters, and the public (in limited numbers) is allowed to hear oral arguments and visit the building. (Which, if you ever get a chance, do.) So it's not as though the Court operates under wraps, or robes. Television would provide yet another way for people to learn about it.

C-SPAN didn't appear to make any lasting changes on Congress, except to let the public know that things under the dome tend to be a bit boring.

See Senate Judiciary Committee Clears Bill Authorizing Cameras in Federal Courtrooms, Marcia Coyle, National Law Journal (March 7, 2008). (Subscription required.)

On the other hand, we've gone through this before. See, e.g., Bill Allowing Cameras in Supreme Court Gains Momentum, Tony Mauro, Legal Times (November 10, 2005). And Madeleine Brand and Dahlia Lithwick discussed the issue on Day to Day (April 18, 2006).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on March 07, 2008 (boomark / email).