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Monday, May 15, 2006
Ind. Courts - Another story on cameras in Indiana courtrooms
The South Bend Tribune has a story today by Marti Goodlad Heline, featuring Circuit Judge Michael G. Gotsch, whose:
court is one of eight selected by the Indiana Supreme Court for a pilot project allowing video and still news cameras and audio recorders into courtrooms. * * *While the judge views the court involvement as "progressive," he also considers it a way "to engage the community in things happening at the courthouse."
"It's a beneficial thing," Gotsch said. "The more people know about their local government, the better off we are in the long term." * * *
Gotsch is unsure what cases he has that will attract media interest since he has only a minimal criminal caseload that includes mostly nonpayment of child support or welfare fraud.
Gotsch suggested a jury trial about an injury accident or a malpractice case would be the most interesting to the public.
His court also handles numerous divorce, collection, tort claims and other civil cases.
"I know there is a 'Divorce Court' TV show," Gotsch said. "But 'Divorce Court' the TV show and 'Divorce Court' that happens in my courtroom bear little resemblance to one another.
"I'm not sure how excited divorcing couples are going to be about consenting to have their case shown on television," the judge said. "I don't think that's going to happen much."
Gotsch expressed concern that what is broadcast is not taken out of context.
"I don't want whatever snippets taken by video to be misleading to the case in total," he said.
To try to avoid that and to come up with a procedure for requesting the use of cameras, their placement and other details, Gotsch plans to confer with a Law-Media Committee formed a few years ago.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 15, 2006 07:29 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts