Judges Approve Pilot Program To Put Cameras In Courtrooms

By Susan Haigh Associated Press

HAMDEN — The public will soon get a closer look at what goes on inside Connecticut’s courtrooms.

Despite voicing some concern for the rights of defendants and victims, the state’s Superior Court judges voted 138-5 at their annual meeting at Quinnipiac University on June 29 to allow a limited use of cameras beginning January 1. Eight judges abstained.

The change in state court rules will allow TV and still cameras in civil proceedings and trials. It will also create a two-year pilot program in the criminal courts. One judicial district will be picked to allow cameras before the judges determine whether all criminal courts in the state should eventually be open to cameras.

Technically, the old rules allowed cameras in Superior Courts, but the judges barred them nearly all the time.

State Supreme Court Justice David Borden, who led a task force that looked into making Connecticut’s courts more open to the public, acknowledged “it is a big change,” but a necessary one to make the Judicial Branch relevant to residents.

“We’re part of the government, and the more people who see how we work — because we do such a good job in our courtrooms — the more people will have greater trust and confidence in their judicial system,” he said.

Borden said cameras are also important because so many people don’t read newspapers.

“Many, many people get their understanding of public events and government through some sort of screen, whether it’s a television screen or through their computer,” he said. “Since we are part of the people’s government, it is a good thing, I think, to make ourselves available through the medium that most people use to understand what’s going on in our courts and their courts.”

The new rules change does not allow cameras in proceedings involving juveniles, trade secrets, family matters, or sexual offenses. The new rules also forbid jurors from being photographed.

Judges will have some discretion over whether to ultimately allow cameras in particular proceedings. They can object if the cameras pose a safety risk to a witness or defendant, or if the cameras could undermine someone’s legal rights.

The rules originally allowed only criminal judges to limit the cameras to one still and one television, but were amended Friday to include civil court judges as well. The civil court judges said they wanted the same ability, considering they don’t have judicial marshals in their courtrooms to keep an eye on the camera operators.

“We don’t want our courtrooms evolving into the Jerry Springer Show,” said Christine Keller, a judge at Hartford Juvenile Court.

Hartford Superior Court Judge James T. Graham said he was concerned that nontraditional media, such as Internet bloggers, might not follow the rules, including prohibitions on photographing jurors, attorney-client conversations, and recesses.

But state Supreme Court Justice Peter Zarella, chairman of the rules committee, said criteria will be published on the Internet about who is considered a member of the media and is qualified to bring a camera. Requests must be made at least three days in advance of a proceeding.

The new rules define a member of the media as someone who regularly gathers news from the courts.

With these rules changes, Connecticut joins the vast majority of states that allow cameras in courtrooms to some extent. Zarella said about ten forbid them.