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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Ind. Courts - More on cameras in Allen County Superior Court
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has a thoughtful editorial today on the camera pilot project in the Allen County Superior Court, perhaps to atone for its earlier coverage (see "Judge makes joke; reporter fails to notice" in the Fort Wayne Observed Blog from July 8th). Some quotes from the editorial:
Allen Superior Court Judge Nancy Boyer wasted little time in turning Indiana’s test of cameras in the courtroom from concept to action when she arranged for TV and still cameras to record a hearing Friday. * * *Boyer is one of just eight Hoosier judges participating. As a civil court judge, Boyer’s cases generally are the subject of far less public interest than criminal cases. Rather than wait for a higher-profile civil case to come along, Boyer responsibly began looking for a case to introduce cameras into her courtroom as soon as reasonable after the July 1 effective date.
Friday’s court hearing was on a motion for summary judgment, a common move in civil cases in which one or both parties in the lawsuit ask the judge to issue a ruling based solely on the merits of the court filings, without a trial. Only the lawyers for the two sides participated, allowing Boyer to gauge how cameras affected the proceedings without witnesses being involved. The case was filed by an insurance company against the owner of an airplane involved in a Michigan crash.
“I was conscious there were cameras in the courtroom,” Boyer said in a follow-up interview. Most conspicuous were the frequent clicks of the still photographer’s camera. Still, “I think I will get used to this. I think the attorneys will get used to this.”
Boyer is uncertain how witnesses will react to the cameras.
“For most witnesses and parties to lawsuits, it will be the first time they appear in a courtroom. … I wonder if (cameras) will make them more nervous and self-conscious. But that remains to be seen.”
There is little doubt that criminal cases capture far more public attention than civil lawsuits. There is more need and interest for cameras in the courts of Superior Court Judges Fran Gull, Kenneth Scheibenberger and John Surbeck, who handle criminal cases. But there will come a time when an Indiana court will hear an important civil case with much public interest. The public will want coverage from the news media, and the news media can best present the news of the trial with images and recordings. So it is vital that during this cameras-in-the-courtroom pilot program, different types of courts participate.
In addition, if the pilot program works well in Boyer’s courtroom, her colleagues may well be more inclined to invite cameras into their own courts.
For her part, Boyer demonstrated she understands the importance of her role in the pilot program, and she commendably sought to get the project moving in her court.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 11, 2006 08:15 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts