NCJ Number
84397
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
After the Lindbergh kidnapping trial in 1935, the American Bar Association sought to eliminate electronic equipment from courtroom proceedings. Eventually, all but two states adopted regulations applying that ban to some extent, and a 1965 Supreme Court decision encouraged the banning of television cameras at trials as well.
Abstract
Currently, some states or courts allow television coverage with varying kinds of limitations. Some courts have used electronic equipment for their own purposes, including recording testimony, videotaping police line-ups, and using closed-circuit television to allow spectators to watch a trial from outside the courtroom, while other jurisdictions continue to ban all photography and television. Changes in equipment have made it possible to videotape, audiotape, televise, or photograph court proceedings with little disruption. Some regulatory bodies have concluded that recording the proceedings of appellate courts is acceptable, but since the effect of electronic equipment on people in trial situations is unknown, those courtrooms must be kept clear of potential distractions. (Publisher abstract)