1989-03-24 Comments of Star Tribune.pdf - Minnesota Judicial Branch

inding 010 a verdict and 'he passage of the verdict sheet to the
udge and then to the clerk and the reading of the verdict. AS
OOn as this was done the film was rushed to the TV station and
ut on the air. The television station had previously infozned
ts listeners that the verdict was to be recorded by the TV
amera and any program underway would be interrupted for the
howing of the rendition of the verdict.
After the jury had rendered its verdict the Court asked the
urors if they were in anywise a ffected by *de camera or the fact
hat they knew before their deliberation, that they were going
o render their verdict on TV cppera and they all replied in the
egative. Each juror was polled and stated that they had no
eeling cne way or the other about the cameras and electronic
quipment. The attorneys were asked if they felt any distraction
r disruption or were anyway a,& erected by the presence of the cameo
nd the electronic equipment and they all replied in 'de negative.
he Judge had no feeling one way or the other about the presence
If the cameras and the electronic equipment. Once the cows came
lack into session, after its recess during the jury deliberation,
be presence of +tie.cMlera-just-:slipped ~ne?s.mind~..'Therewas.~o
y)re awareness of the TV camera -than there yas of TcCple:in the-'
:ourtroom.
This experiment indicated to the writer that many, many Of
&e fears expressed in the gast about the presence of cameras and
clectronie equipment in the courtroom were totally unfounded.
rhis will be developed further ti the report.
The only other success in obtain?ing camera aad electronic
:overage took place in Rapides Parish in the Criminal trial of
State v. Jazzes Williams. There was present in the COUrtrOOm One
rV camera, a news photoqraphex with a still camera, a news
reporter with a small cassette tape recorder and tic=ophones
from the radio station. The cameras and operators and newsmen
were spotted in the courtroom at tie direction of the trial judge
and acre they remained until the trial w2s over.
.