1989-03-24 Comments of Star Tribune.pdf - Minnesota Judicial Branch
1989-03-24 Comments of Star Tribune.pdf - Minnesota Judicial Branch
1989-03-24 Comments of Star Tribune.pdf - Minnesota Judicial Branch
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
\<br />
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>.