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

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ANN AROGR. MI<br />

NEWS<br />

H 0 V-23-88<br />

Committee urging<br />

open chtrooms<br />

TbecJmeruhtbe c4nmrok<br />

Cotumt~vutedc1Turausytu<br />

asktbsbl~cotuttoMkeP==-<br />

Dmtanexpermmtthtbopcr-<br />

Kod in ftve MicbigJn couolIK<br />

darJutt&<br />

~pubficlusa~ttuk=<br />

UUlUWpbUC’SXigbttohwnIr<br />

hdnlkdolllyLp~bYtbc-’<br />

pJpem...Wchr.ltbttbbmold<br />

OpatbtCOV~pOf~~l-<br />

ters to tbs gemem pubhc.” UM<br />

Michigan cola 01 ApW JdP<br />

Jcueph B. 9uflivan, cbaimmu <strong>of</strong><br />

thecommiua.<br />

Sullivan said wbsa fhe +<br />

mmt kg1a Jome lured murl-<br />

rooms woufd be disrupted<br />

“ActuJl~y. in tbs workings <strong>of</strong> it<br />

ulingsbsvegouentberulmly<br />

and smootldy,” k Mid.<br />

nle!dgllamt~Ltrcrperi-<br />

mmtNtewlticcmFeb.1but~<br />

mmJdtkfaJeJttorrwgr,prot<br />

muursorjudgmtobfsck~bC<br />

<strong>of</strong>camemsortapereeometstf<br />

they didn’t want mm.<br />

only 63 <strong>of</strong> the 174 mw.StJ for<br />

tbeaPs-rwdL-<br />

wemappmvcduutkrtbsseguids-<br />

lbKs.wJcodlg~Jrcportprc<br />

smtedtotbacommlttcr.<br />

On Jtme 20, the eemt cbsr@<br />

.<br />

L)A..r CITY. MI<br />

TIMES<br />

H 0 V-23-66<br />

Panel:OpenaUcourtrooms<br />

t0 CqeraS; tape recorders<br />

LANSINC/(AP) - couivooms<br />

in ah 83 Michigan counties<br />

should be opened to joumalists’<br />

camel-u and tape recorders. a<br />

committee <strong>of</strong> the Michi an Su-<br />

prTfr8rfrr~rsZ~m<br />

Committee voted 9-1 Tuesday to<br />

ask the high court to make per-<br />

manent an experiment that has<br />

operated in fii Michigan coun-<br />

ties since June.<br />

“The public has s right to<br />

know and the public’s right to<br />

know is fulfilled only in part by<br />

the newspapers. . . . We feel that<br />

this would open the coverage <strong>of</strong><br />

court matters to the general pub-<br />

lic.” said Michigan Court <strong>of</strong> Ap<br />

peals h&e Joseph B. Sullivan,<br />

chairman <strong>of</strong> the commtnee.<br />

The high court began its es-<br />

periment statewide on Feb..1 but<br />

permitted ‘defense attorneys.<br />

prosecutors or judges to block<br />

the use <strong>of</strong> csmetas or tape tc-<br />

corders if they didn’t want them.<br />

Only 63 <strong>of</strong> the 174 rquosts for<br />

the expanded multi covemffe<br />

were approved under those<br />

guidelioes. according to a report<br />

presented to the committee.<br />

On June 20. the court chanped<br />

the. guidelines in fii counties.<br />

making access to counrooms<br />

automatic unless s judge deter-<br />

mined that such coverage would<br />

make the ,bial or court proceed-<br />

SAC~INAW, hv<br />

NEWS<br />

r.54.513: S-57JrP<br />

HOV-23-88<br />

ing unfair.<br />

0Ithe114requestsreceivedin<br />

Grand fmerse, Ingham, Mar-<br />

quette, Outland and Wexford<br />

courier. 138 were approved. the<br />

report said.<br />

The Lone dissenter on the<br />

committee &as Detroit Record-<br />

en’ Court Judge Vera Massey<br />

Jones. who argued that the use<br />

01 cameras and tape recorders<br />

should remain an experiment tOr<br />

another year but be expanded<br />

statewide.<br />

Jones said the five-county ex-<br />

p&nment did not provide enough.<br />

experience with the type <strong>of</strong> vio-<br />

Lent felony cases heard in,fMroit<br />

Recorders’ Court.<br />

But Sullivan said ample evi-<br />

dence existed in other shoes that<br />

cameras in the counrooms don’t<br />

disrupt proceedings in those<br />

type0 <strong>of</strong> cases. He said that only<br />

six states don’t allow any type Of<br />

expanded media coverage.<br />

During the five-county ucoeri-<br />

ment. news organimtions want-<br />

ing to use televtsion or still cam-<br />

eras or tape recorders had to<br />

request permission tram the<br />

judge three days in advance, but<br />

the fudge could approve a re-<br />

quest that came in Later.<br />

A judge’s decision to termi-<br />

nate. suspend or ban the cover-<br />

age could not be appealed. under<br />

the experiment.<br />

N,ews --. i ! ; L . :camWas . .in the Courtroom<br />

Pa&l wants 5-county experiment expanded statewide in all courts<br />

LANSING tAP) - Courtrooms in all 83 Micbigan<br />

counties should open to journsBsts’ urneras<br />

and tape recurdem. a committee <strong>of</strong> the hlicbigan<br />

Suprgme * recummen&.<br />

The Cameras tn the Courtroom ComrrZe<br />

vowed 9-l Tuesday to ask tbe’bigh coun to make<br />

permanent an experiment that baa operated in<br />

five Michigan coumia sinw JUIR<br />

“The public has a right tu knuw and the<br />

public’s right to know is fulfflled only in part by<br />

the DewspJpeK. . . . We feel thmt this would opan<br />

the coverage <strong>of</strong> coun matters tn the general<br />

public.” said Michigan Court <strong>of</strong> Appeals Judge<br />

Joseph B-Sullivan. cbatmtan <strong>of</strong> the committee.<br />

Sullivan said when tbe experiment began<br />

some feared cameras would disrupt cuuruuums.<br />

“Actually. in the workings <strong>of</strong> it things have.<br />

‘pn6 rather calmly and 8muotbly.” be said.<br />

The btgb court began jts experiment state<br />

wide Feb. 1 but permitted defense attorneys,<br />

prusecuton or judges lo block the use <strong>of</strong> cameras<br />

or tape recorders if they didn’t want them.<br />

Courts approved onlv 63 <strong>of</strong> the 174 reuua<br />

for the expanded<br />

.<br />

media<br />

.-coverage<br />

under ‘&se<br />

guidelines. according to a report presented to<br />

the cmnmittce<br />

June 20. tbe court cbaaged the guidelines in<br />

five counue5, making access ts courtrooms<br />

automatic unless a judge detemtined that such<br />

Fverage would make the trial or court pmceed-<br />

mg unfatr.<br />

Of the 144 requests received in Grand Tk.<br />

verse, laghnm Morquerte, O~klsd and Wex-<br />

ford countia, 138 were approved tbe report<br />

said.<br />

Sullivan said eumments fmm judges involved<br />

in tbuse cases turned up few problems.<br />

The lone dissenter on .tbe eummittcc was<br />

Detroit Recorders’ Court Judge Vera Massev<br />

Jones. who argued that tbe Supreme Cot&<br />

should expand the expenment statewide for a<br />

year.<br />

Jones said the fivecwunty expedment did nut<br />

provide enough experience with the type <strong>of</strong><br />

violent felony cases heard in Detroit Recorders’<br />

court.<br />

“It’s the kind <strong>of</strong> thing most papem want to get<br />

a bold <strong>of</strong> and self oawrs.” she said<br />

But Sullivan said ample evidence existed in<br />

other sw~ that cameras in the c0urtruoms<br />

don’t disrupt pmceedmgs in those types <strong>of</strong> cases.<br />

Be said that on)y SK states don’t allow any type<br />

<strong>of</strong> expanded media coverage.<br />

Dunng the fivc-ctumty experiment. news or-<br />

ganizations wanting to use television or still<br />

cJmerasortapemwrfkK bad to request per-<br />

mtssion from tbe judge three days in advance.<br />

but the judge could approve a request ‘that came<br />

in her.<br />

A judge’s d&on to terminate. suspend or<br />

ba.:;zwezrr” could not be appealed. under<br />

The ‘committee recommended contfnuation <strong>of</strong><br />

tbuse NIK JJKJ suggested the gmdelma spell<br />

out that judges are fm to exclude coverage <strong>of</strong><br />

ccnain a)mmses. such as victims <strong>of</strong> sex crimes<br />

and their families, putice informants, undercov-<br />

er rgenu and relocated wttnesses.<br />

Coverage <strong>of</strong> pmrs already was.excluded.<br />

Supreme Coun spokesman Tom Farrell said<br />

the high court would take up the recommenda-<br />

tion early m <strong>1989</strong>.

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