Televising Court Proceedings Essay

Televising Court Proceedings Turn on the television right now; it will not be difficult to find a show featuring a court case. It is most likely actors portraying the role of court participants unrealistically. The public now has a false picture of a court proceeding. The controversy on cameras in the court room started after the famous trial of O.J. Simpson was televised. It gave the public a realistic view into the court room. John Langbein from Yale Law School stated, “those cameras are an absolute godsend because the public has been educated to think that criminal trials are what they saw on Perry Mason and it ain’t true. What it’s showing people is the way the system really works” (4). However, many people are against cameras in the

Unfortunately, the government can control whether the press is allowed in a court room. If cameras were allowed in the court room it would “keep the government honest,” (Wilson 26). A good, honest government will cause public confidence to rise and will strengthen this country’s integrity. Having cameras in the court room will also benefit public safety. People are less likely to commit a crime if they know that their trial, if caught, will be televised to the entire country. The public shames criminals and people are scared that if they commit a crime they will have the same fate, public humiliation. The more court proceedings televised the lower the crime the crime rates. Court proceedings may be viewed as entertainment. This takes away from the important act of implementing justice in the US. The public may create a “media circus,” (Marshall-Andrews XV). There will be people who will only view court proceedings as entertainment but if it is not televised for everyone the people interested in court proceedings for educational purposes will never get to experience a real