Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,...
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced a bill Thursday to require TV coverage of all open Supreme Court proceedings. The Cameras in the Courtroom Act would permit the justices to prevent televised coverage of their proceedings if…
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they determine by a majority vote that doing so would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the court. “We can all agree that the American public deserves the opportunity to see firsthand the arguments and opinions that will shape their society for years to come,” Durbin said in a joint news release. “The accountability, transparency and openness that this bill would create would help increase understanding of, and appreciation for, the highest court in the land and the decisions the court makes,” said Grassley. Grassley and Durbin had previously sponsored the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act (S-410), which would require cameras in the courtrooms, and which failed to pass in the last session of Congress. The high court has never allowed reporters to bring cameras or tape recorders inside, and didn’t allow cameras to record oral argument about the national healthcare law in March (CD March 19 p16). The justices have raised concerns that televising their hearings could hurt their collegiality and overall ability to make objective decisions (CD Dec 7/11 p1).