Grassley said the development is "a victory for open government." He introduced the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act (S.986) earlier this year. It was the second time Grassley and Sen. Charles Schumer had joined forces to promote their legislation to allow at the judge's discretion the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting and televising of federal court proceedings.
"Letting the sun shine in is the best way to maintain confidence in the federal judiciary, which holds tremendous power over our lives,"Grassley said. "The Founders wanted the public to have access to courtroom proceedings. In modern times, the Founders intentions can be met by letting federal judges open the courtroom to public view through broadcasting. Cameras in the courtroom would bring the federal judiciary into the 21st century."
Today, cameras are banned in all federal district courts. Only two appellate courts ? the 2nd and 9th circuits ? allow cameras in the courtroom. All 50 states allow coverage of some appellate proceedings, but ten states bar cameras in trial courtrooms. Those states are New York, Utah, South Dakota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Nebraska.
This fall Grassley was honored with a "Sunshine Award" from the Society of Professional Journalists in recognition of his role in the successful effort to have the U.S. Supreme Court make recordings available to the media during the historic proceedings after the 2000 presidential election. Last November, Grassley and Schumer petitioned Chief Justice William Rehnquist to reconsider the decision to ban television coverage of the Florida election argument before the Supreme Court. Rehnquist responded by saying the court would release a copy of the audiotape after the argument because of "intense public interest" in the case.
Grassley conducted a Judiciary Subcommittee hearing a year ago to draw attention to the cameras in the courtroom legislation. Des Moines' KCCI-TV news director, Dave Busiek, testified. "Iowa has allowed cameras in the state courts for more than 20 years, and there's broad consensus that it's enhanced a better understanding and appreciation for the judicial system by Iowa taxpayers," Grassley said.
A commission studying New York's 10-year experiment with cameras in state courtrooms recently concluded that television coverage improved public scrutiny and knowledge of state's judicial system without affecting a single verdict. At the federal level, a pilot program allowing televising of court proceedings between 1991 and 1993 also received a favorable report from the panel of judges overseeing it.