Grassley pushes to get cameras in Federal courts

Senator Chuck Grassley is pushing, again, to allow cameras and microphones into the federal courts. Forty-eight states allow some form of electronic media coverage of state proceedings, and Grassley says it’s time for the same thing to happen in federal courtrooms. He says his inniative is consistent with what the Founding Fathers intended in having trials open to the public. He says the use of cameras in state courts in Iowa in the last 20 years has enhanced the understanding and appreciation of the judicial system.For the second time, Grassley’s offering a bill that would allow federal judges to decide whether the media may televise a trial or hearing. Grassley says last December’s U-S Supreme Court decision to release audiotapes of the oral arguments in the Bush/Gore case was a turning point.Grassley says Congress has benefitted from C-SPAN’s live, televised coverage of its proceedings and it’s time to let the electronic media cover the federal courts to bring the people’s business into homes and cars across the country. New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a democrat, is co-sponsoring the bill with Grassley.