Cameras in the Courtroom

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Cameras in the Courtroom
Throughout history there have always been issues concerning judicial courts and proceedings: issues that include everything from the new democracy of Athens, Greece, to the controversial verdict in the Casey Anthony trial as well as the Trayvon Martin trial. One of the more recent and ever changing issues revolves around cameras being allowed and used inside courtrooms. It was stated in the Handbook of Court Administration and Management by Stephen W. Hays and Cole Blease Graham, Jr. that “the question of whether or not to allow cameras in American courtrooms has been debated for nearly fifty years by scholars, media representatives, concerned citizens, and others involved in the criminal justice system.” The negatives that can be attached to the presence of cameras inside a courtroom are just as present, if not more present, than the positives that go hand-in-hand with the presence of cameras.
Through the past 50 years the television camera has become a part of human nature. Each channel is there to represent a different aspect of society. It has given society the ability to witness traumatic world events, infamous police investigations and debates in the House of Commons from the comfort of their own home. The question remains unanswered, why is the public not able to observe a courtroom trial on television? Some claim that the media would distort the whole process having a negative impact on jury, however, if certain protocols are followed there would be no conflicts concerning cameras in the courtroom. The media should be able to film trials in the courtroom as it would create a better society.
Viewing a judge's sentence creates a divide in society. Will the accused be offered a fair trial? Could t...

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...trieved from: http://www.quoteswave.com/text-quotes/375949
Donaldson-Evans, C. (2004, February 10). High-Profile Cases Shut the Door on Cameras.
Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/02/10/high-profile-cases-shut-door- on-cameras/ Graham Jr., C. & Hayes, S. Handbook of Court Administration and Management.
Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/29758746?uid=3739616&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103896760517
Parker, K. (2013, July 9). Take cameras out of the courtroom.
Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kathleen-parker-take-cameras- out-of-court/2013/07/09/dcfc4498-e8d1-11e2-a301-ea5a8116d211_story.html McElroy, D. & Lovelady, A. (2012, December). Cameras in the Courtroom.
Retrieved from: https://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/PI/RHandbook01.nsf/1119bd38ae090a748525676f0053b606/5192d3660a0dd573852569cb004c8e15!OpenDocument

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