Senate Judiciary Committee Backs Supreme Court Cameras
The Senate Judiciary Committee has sent three bills on courtroom cameras to the full Senate, including legislation promoting televised coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court.
One of the bills would require the Supreme Court to broadcast oral arguments unless a majority of justices decide the coverage would violate the rights of a party, according to the Associated Press and The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. Another nonbinding bill says it is the “sense of the Senate” that the Supreme Court should allow coverage.
A third bill would authorize federal trial and appellate judges to allow courtroom cameras. Under the legislation, the U.S. Judicial Conference would create guidelines for judges weighing whether to allow televised proceedings.
The AP story says there is no indication whether the bills will be debated this year, and it’s not clear whether Congress can order courts to accept broadcast coverage.
