SUNSHINE IN THE COURTROOM ACT OF 2007 HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H.R. 2128 SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 Serial No. 110–160 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://judiciary.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 37–979 PDF WASHINGTON : 2009 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 H:\WORK\FULL\092707\37979.000 HJUD1 PsN: 37979 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan, Chairman HOWARD L. BERMAN, California LAMAR SMITH, Texas RICK BOUCHER, Virginia F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., JERROLD NADLER, New York Wisconsin ROBERT C. ‘‘BOBBY’’ SCOTT, Virginia HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina ELTON GALLEGLY, California ZOE LOFGREN, California BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas STEVE CHABOT, Ohio MAXINE WATERS, California DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts CHRIS CANNON, Utah ROBERT WEXLER, Florida RIC KELLER, Florida LINDA T. SA´ NCHEZ, California DARRELL ISSA, California STEVE COHEN, Tennessee MIKE PENCE, Indiana HANK JOHNSON, Georgia J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia BETTY SUTTON, Ohio STEVE KING, Iowa LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois TOM FEENEY, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California TRENT FRANKS, Arizona TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas ANTHONY D. WEINER, New York JIM JORDAN, Ohio ADAM B. SCHIFF, California ARTUR DAVIS, Alabama DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida KEITH ELLISON, Minnesota PERRY APELBAUM, Staff Director and Chief Counsel JOSEPH GIBSON, Minority Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 H:\WORK\FULL\092707\37979.000 HJUD1 PsN: 37979 C O N T E N T S SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 Page THE BILL H.R. 2128, the ‘‘Sunshine in the Courtrom Act of 2007’’ ...................................... 3 OPENING STATEMENTS The Honorable William D. Delahunt, a Representative in Congress from the State of Massachusetts, and Member, Committee on the Judiciary ......... 1 The Honorable Lamar Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, and Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary ......................... 8 The Honorable Steve Chabot, a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio, and Member, Committee on the Judiciary .......................................... 9 WITNESSES The Honorable Ted Poe, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 11 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 13 The Honorable John R. Tunheim, Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, on behalf of the Judicial Conference of the United States Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 15 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 18 The Honorable Nancy Gertner, Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 38 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 40 Mr. John C. Richter, U.S. Attorney, Western District of Oklahoma Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 44 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 46 Ms. Susan M. Swain, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, C-SPAN Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 80 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 82 Ms. Barbara Cochran, President, Radio-Television News Directors Association Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 95 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 96 Mr. Fred Graham, Senior Editor, Court TV Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 99 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 100 MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD Prepared Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan, and Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary ......................................................................................................... 131 (III) VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 H:\WORK\FULL\092707\37979.000 HJUD1 PsN: 37979 VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 H:\WORK\FULL\092707\37979.000 HJUD1 PsN: 37979 SUNSHINE IN THE COURTROOM ACT OF 2007 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, WASHINGTON, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 1:13 p.m., in room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, the Honorable William D. Delahunt (acting Chair) presiding. Present: Representatives Delahunt, Sutton, Davis, Smith, Coble, Gallegly, Chabot, Keller, Issa, Forbes, King, Franks, Gohmert, and Jordan. Staff present: Diana Oo, Majority Counsel; Michael Volkov, Mi- nority Counsel; and Matt Morgan, Majority Staff Assistant. Mr. DELAHUNT. [Presiding.] The Committee will come to order. And without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a re- cess. Since 1946, photographing and broadcasting of Federal District Court criminal and civil proceedings have been prohibited by a di- rective of the Judicial Conference. Federal appellate courts, in con- trast, have been authorized by the conference to use their discre- tion in determining whether to allow electronic media coverage of appellate arguments. Currently, only the 2nd and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeals permit cameras in their courtroom. In recent years, however, there has been growing public interest in having all Federal judicial pro- ceedings televised, which may reflect a greater general desire for transparency as well as heightened interest in certain well-pub- licized cases. Today’s hearing provides an opportunity for us to consider H.R. 2128, the ‘‘Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2007,’’ which would allow the presiding Federal District Court or appellate court judge to permit electronic media coverage of court proceedings. I would like to acknowledge my friend, Steve Chabot, for his leadership on this issue—and he has joined us on the dais—and for closely working with myself and others to get us to this point. It is my hope that this hearing will shed some sunlight on the following issues. First, would this measure help promote greater understanding of the judicial process by the public by making it more transparent? It is vital to our democracy that the public understand the critical role that our Federal judicial system plays in our system of open Government with respect to protecting the rights of all citizens. Greater transparency also helps enhance the public’s trust and con- (1) VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 H:\WORK\FULL\092707\37979.000 HJUD1 PsN: 37979 2 fidence in the judicial process. As Judge Louis Brandeis once said, ‘‘Sunshine is the best disinfectant.’’ Second, would the measure grant access to Federal judicial pro- ceedings in a way that promotes fairness? Many believe that the constitutional right to a fair trial requires that all court pro- ceedings be open to the public, including the press. They cite, for example, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Richmond Newspapers v. Virginia, which held, ‘‘The right to attend criminal trials is implicit in the guarantees of the First Amendment.’’ Similar statements could be made with respect to civil trials. Third, would the measure undermine due process and privacy rights of participants in Federal judicial proceedings by opening them to intrusive electronic media? We should be appropriately careful that media coverage of these proceedings not impair the fundamental right of a citizen to a fair and impartial trial. The prospect of public disclosure of all personal information may have a material effect on our individual’s willingness to testify or place an individual at risk of being a target for retribution or in- timidation. Likewise, the safety and security of our judges, law-en- forcement officers, and other participants in the judicial process should not be jeopardized. Accordingly, we should take all proper precautions to ensure that the privacy of all participants in the ju- dicial process is appropriately protected. I look forward to having an informative and illuminating discus- sion on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic media cov- erage of our court proceedings. [The bill, H.R. 2128, follows:] VerDate Aug 31 2005 14:09 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm