Minnesota SPJ

Media groups and SPJ seek cameras in courts

Posted on 07. Mar, 2007 by art.hughes in News

SPJ and more than 20 other media organizations and state journalism leaders believe it’s time for greater public access to Minnesota courts.

After three decades of a de facto ban on cameras and electronic recording devices in Minnesota courtrooms, media organizations representing hundreds of journalists across the state are petitioning the court to centralize recording decisions with the judge.

Press Release
Wednesday March 7, 2007

Leading media organizations seek greater public access to Minnesota Courts
Contact: Art Hughes, President,
Minnesota Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists 612-280-0560

The Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists joins three other leading journalism organizations and more than 20 representatives of individual media outlets in supporting more transparency in the state’s courts. In coordination with Sunshine Week, these organizations back a petition to the Minnesota Supreme Court to improve access by electronic media.

Minnesota ranks among the bottom states in the nation in terms of access by the public. This is because a rule adopted three decades ago allows any party to a court procedure— the prosecution, the defense or litigants in civil cases—to prohibit cameras or other recording devices in the courtroom. This effectively establishes a ban on electronic recording. Lifting this ban will restore the presumption of openness to a public institution, and give the public a more complete picture of how the judicial system works. The new language proposed by a coalition of media organizations and advocates would place decisions about electronic recording solely with the judge. This is in line with the court’s stated goal of increased public trust and accountability.

“Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota all allow the public to see and hear recordings of a defendant entering a plea, a jury delivering a verdict, or a judge handing down a sentence. It’s time for Minnesota to do the same,” said Mark Anfinson, chief author of the petition to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Those supporting the effort to remove barriers to public access include the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, the Minnesota Newspapers Association, and the Joint Media Committee. These respected organizations represent hundreds of journalists across the state who believe broadcasts of court proceedings are a natural extension of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Sunshine Week (www.sunshineweek.org) started in 2005 to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of open government. It is a national effort funded by the Knight Foundation and led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Letter to the court

Formal Petition to the Court

Recommended Change to Rules of Practice

Current Rules of Practice

Recommended Change to Judicial Ethics Rules

Current Judicial Ethics Rules

FAQs about recording in courtrooms