Cameras in the Courtroom

According to Thaler, the presence of cameras in the courtroom is a pervasive technology that can affect public perceptions of the judicial process, change the behavior and attitudes of trial participants, and ultimately transform the sober process of justice into a media event designed for maximum public exposure. The author has interviewed more than 50 people--prominent journalists, academics, and members of the legal system--and brought together their observations in a fascinating historical and psychological profile of the televised courtroom. Thaler provides a historical overview and theoretical perspective, and discusses the new cable courtroom network and the current and continuing camera debate in New York City. He makes reference to the recent celebrated cases involving Amy Fisher, William Kennedy Smith, and Rodney King, then turns to an in-depth case study of the Joel Steinberg murder trial, including insights from the presiding judge, trial attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and the defendant himself, as well as journalists who covered the trial. The author concludes that the process of justice is slowly being turned into an entertainment vehicle, not unlike the show trials of bygone eras.

Designed for those preparing to write in the current multimedia environment,

Lively's in-depth study of communications law clarifies the basic principles that comprise the law and provides a thorough survey of "the press" as it was originally outlined in the Constitution and how its profile has changed due to the sophisticated nature of today's media. Lively reviews the concepts that formed the groundwork for the law, examines the history of the regulation of the communications industry, evaluates the guidelines that have developed regarding the content of accessible information, and discerns trends in ownership of information sources.

"To what extent should media coverage of criminal court proceedings be permitted? The central issue is how to strike a balance between the public's right to information and the individual's right to privacy. Freedman reviews the underlying legal principles and constitutional issues and describes important case law. He analyzes situations in which photographing, broadcasting, and televising in the courtroom are currently allowed and examines the relationship between the presence of media equipment during criminal trials and the actions of trial lawyers. The issue of media coverage as it relates to civil trials is also addressed, and British practices regarding press and media coverage of court proceedings are offered for comparison." Legal Information Alert

In the "Year of Simpson", the country was caught in the throes of the biggest story ever. No other single news event in our history could match the sheer scope and intensity of coverage given to the O.J. Simpson murder case. But the media did not just report the Simpson case, they were instrumental in creating it - a spectacle of such stupendous proportions that it "hijacked" American culture. In this critical expose of American media, Thaler presents a riveting narrative about the men and women who gave us the story of the century. It is a tale of the media grappling with their role as news-reporting entities; seduced by the values of entertainment and tabloidism; and faced with increased competition, fragmented audiences, and frantic pressure to keep both eyes on the bottom line.

This volume takes a historical approach in analyzing all of the major United States Supreme Court cases relevant to the conflict between a free press and fair trial. Campbell's thorough analysis, which relates 30 primary cases to each other and to nearly 70 associated supporting cases, consists of five parts: (1) legal backgrounds; (2) immediate historical circumstances giving rise to the cases; (3) complete summaries of all court opinions, concurring opinions, and dissenting opinions, often using the Justices' own words; (4) the Court's ruling; and (5) analysis of the significance of the cases.

THE O. J. SIMPSON CASE CAPTURED THE attention of the public like no other event in media history, and the Simpson criminal trial is arguably the most notable example of the media's ability to transform litigation. This collection of original essays provides a critical analysis of the Simpson criminal and civil trials. Edited by communications professor Janice Schuetz and professional trial consultant Lin S. Lilley, the book focuses on telelitigation, the media's transformation of sensational trials, with celebrity defendants and victims, into telemediated forms.

The contributors -- Ann Burnett, Patricia M. Ganer, Ann M. Gill, Diane Furno-Lamude, Lin S. Lilley, and Janice Schuetz -- describe media spectacles, analyze the opening statements of trial attorneys in both cases, investigate the testimony of Mark Fuhrman in the criminal trial and O. J. Simpson in the civil trial, analyze the summations of trial attorneys in both cases, look at the processes of jury decision making, and identify the unique legal and social outcomes of the trials.

The discussions focus on five "hot button" legal issues sparked by the Simpson trials: the perceived unfairness of the jury system; unprecedented calls for jury reform in both civil and criminal arenas; the fairness issues of jury nullification, wherein a jury disregards the law in a criminal case in favor of leniency; wealth and the question of "buying" justice; and ethical questions about the ways the Simpson trials were conducted, in particular the ways in which Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran and the "Dream Team" repeatedly nudged and occasionally crossed the ethical line.