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

Result D: The presence of the electronic media appeared to have
minimal
proceedings
effects,
on
positive
trial.
or negative, on the quality of the
Twenty-eight percent of the judges said the presence of
operators and equipment slightly increased the dignity of the
proceedings.. Fifty-six percent of the judges, 76 percent of
attorneys, 89 percent of the media and 77 percent of witnesses
reported no effect (IV Results, Section A, Table 2). In
addition,
84 percent
56 percent of
of the media
the judges,
reported that
76 percent
operators
of
and
attorneys
equipment
and
did
not at
judges
all disrupt proceedings.
reported a slight disruption
Twenty-eight
in proceedings
percent of the
and 85 percent
of the
Section
media
A, Table
reported
3).
a moderate disruption (IV Results,
The majority of judges, 88 percent, reported that the
presence of the media did not make the attorneys better prepared
(IV Results,
88 percent,
make them
Table 1).
Section B, Table 3). The majority of attorneys
also report that the presence of the media did not
prepare their cases better (IV Results, Section C,
Result E: The presence of cameras and the media did not make the
majority of judges, attorneys or witnesses nervous or
self-conscious.
83 percent
Statistics
of attorneys
indicate that
and 81 percent
76 percent
of witnesses
of
did
judges,
not feel
only slightly felt self-conscious (IV Results, Section A,
iible 7).
Result F: Judges reported a strong tendency of witnesses to
become distracted by operators of equipment.
Although 44 percent of judges reported that witnesses
were not at all distracted by equipment and operators, 48 percent
of judges reported that witnesses were extremely distracted
(IV Results, Section B, Table 9).
Result G: Almost half of the judges reported that a party or
witness objected to the media’s presence in the courtroom.
Forty-four percent of the judges reported objections
(IV Results, Section B, Table 3).
Result H: Witnesses definitely did not want to see or hear
themselves in the media.
s-
According to the data, 71 percent of witnesses did not
want to see or hear themselves in the media (IV Results, Section
A, Table 12).
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