Search

Categories

Total Results

No Record Found

View All Results
DONATE

access to courts

Federal experiment proceeding with video cameras in courtrooms

donal brown October 18, 2011

A movement to improve the transparency and openness of federal courts is gaining momentum with video cameras recording at least six civil trials courts authorized under the experiment. There is also evidence of progress in several states in preparations for recording court proceedings. -db From a commentary for the Citizen Media Law Project, October 17, 2011 by Eric P. Robinson. Full story

Read More »

Hold on releasing Prop. 8 trial videos

donal brown September 29, 2011

The videos of  Prop. 8 lawsuit videos will not be released while  federal appeals court considers whether the videos would endanger witnesses and compromise the credibility and integrity of the federal judiciary. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary hold on the videos after Chief  U.S.District Judge James Ware ruled on Sept. 19 that the videos be released. -db From the San Francisco Chronicle, September 28, 2011, by Bob Egelko. Full story

Read More »

Federal appeals court rules for journalist in gaining early decision on gag order

donal brown August 16, 2011

A federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled a Texas journalist could expedite his appeal of a gag order in a trial of a citizen of Saudi Arabia who allegedly attempted to use of weapon of mass destruction in the U.S. The court refused to suspend the gag order but ordered that a decision in the appeal be made on September 9. -db From The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, August 12, 2011,

Read More »

Federal court experiment premiers with video of Tennessee hearing

donal brown August 1, 2011

The federal courts’ test of  cameras in the courtroom began July 21 in a hearing for a preliminary injunction in Tennessee. The test program,  approved by the U.S. Judicial Conference last year,  allows court-operated cameras to film civil proceedings in 14 federal trial courts. The July 21 proceedings were posted online after the hearing. Writing for the Citizens Media Law Project, Eric P. Robinson noted that this is not the first experiment with cameras in

Read More »

Federal appeals court affirms access to sentencing of criminals

donal brown May 19, 2011

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that the press and public have a First Amendment right to attend the sentencing of a criminal defendant. The court also said that there must be public notice and a chance for the public to comment before the sentencing. The court noted that there was a long history of opening sentencing including high-profile cases and said that there were significant benefits such as  increasing public

Read More »