WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Steve King, both of Iowa, are leading an effort to bring more transparency into federal courtrooms by introducing the “Sunshine in the Courtroom Act.” The legislation allows judges at all federal court levels to open their courtrooms to television cameras and radio broadcasts.
“The federal court system is unknown to many Americans. C-SPAN’s coverage of the House and Senate has led to greater transparency of the legislative branch of government, and transparency leads to accountability. Video coverage of our courts can be a great learning tool for the American people and will contribute to a better understanding of the American judicial system,” Grassley said.
"The responsible televising of courtroom proceedings will allow Americans to better understand the important decisions that are made in the federal judiciary every day, that affect all of our lives," said King. "The Sunshine in the Courtroom Act will provide that much needed transparency by allowing Federal judges to televise coverage of proceedings in their courtrooms. This is a common sense step towards matching the overwhelming number of states that allow televising of at least some trial court proceedings, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and the House to make this a reality."
The bicameral, bipartisan bill includes a 3-year sunset to provide Congress the opportunity to study the effects of the legislation before making any permanent changes. The bill protects the privacy and safety of non-party witnesses by giving them the right to have their faces and voices obscured, and it prohibits the televising of jurors. The bill also includes a provision to protect the due process rights of each party.
The Senate bill is being introduced with Senator Chuck Schumer, who has joined with Grassley in introducing the bill since 1999. King is joined in the House by Representatives Jason Chaffetz, Ted Deutch and Zoe Lofgren.
Since Grassley and Schumer first introduced legislation, the Chief Justice has immediately released audio of oral arguments of compelling cases. The first release came when then Chief Justice William Rehnquist allowed for the release of audio immediately following oral arguments in the Florida election matter in 2000. Since then, Chief Justice John Roberts has released audio recordings the same day of the oral arguments for more than 20 cases, including Grutter v. Bollinger, D.C. v. Heller, the Guantanamo Cases and the Citizens United Case.
Studies and surveys conducted in many states which permit some form of audio-video coverage in their courtrooms have confirmed that electronic media coverage of trials boosts public understanding of the court system without interfering with court proceedings.
Here is the text of Grassley’s prepared floor statement upon introduction of the bill.
Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley
Statement on Introduction of Sunshine in the Courtroom Act
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Mr. President,
Today I am reintroducing the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act, a bipartisan bill which permits judges at all federal court levels to open their courtrooms to television cameras and radio broadcasts.
Openness in our courts improves the public’s understanding of what happens inside our courts. Our judicial system remains a mystery to too many people across the country. That doesn’t need to continue. Letting the sun shine in on federal courtrooms will give Americans an opportunity to better understand the judicial process. Courts are the bedrock of the American justice system. I believe that granting the public greater access to an already public proceeding will inspire greater faith in and appreciation for our judges who pledge equal and impartial justice for all.
For decades, states such as my home state of Iowa have allowed cameras in their courtrooms with great results. As a matter of fact, only the District of Columbia prohibits trial and appellate court coverage entirely. Nineteen states allow news coverage in most courts; sixteen allow coverage with slight restrictions; and the remaining fifteen allow coverage with stricter rules.
The bill I’m introducing today, along with Senator Schumer and five other cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, including Judiciary Chairman Leahy, will greatly improve public access to federal courts by letting federal judges open their courtrooms to television cameras and other forms of electronic media.
The Sunshine in the Courtroom Act is full of provisions that ensure that the introduction of cameras and other broadcasting devices into courtrooms goes as smoothly as it has at the state level. First, the presence of the cameras in federal trial and appellate courts is at the sole discretion of the judges—it is not mandatory. The bill also provides a mechanism for Congress to study the effects of this legislation on our judiciary before making this change permanent through a three-year sunset provision. The bill protects the privacy and safety of non-party witnesses by giving them the right to have their faces and voices obscured. The bill prohibits the televising of jurors. Finally, it includes a provision to protect the due process rights of each party.
Mr. President, we need to open the doors and let the light shine in on the Federal Judiciary. This bill improves public access to and therefore understanding of our federal courts. It has safety provisions to ensure that the cameras won’t interfere with the proceedings or with the safety or due process of anyone involved in the cases. Our states have allowed news coverage of their courtrooms for decades. It’s time we join them.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.
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