Cameras in the Courtroom

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I want to compliment Erika Kirk, wife of the assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk. She has made the emotional appeal to have cameras in the courtroom at the trial of her husband's murderer. I commend her for this brave plea because it fits in with a stand I have been taking for the last couple of decades.

Courts at both the State and Federal level have a massive impact on our daily lives and the lives of generations to come. Yet few Americans get the chance to see the Nation's courts in action. That is almost totally true of Federal courts. I believe most States do allow cameras in the courtrooms, although not necessarily required under State procedure in State courtrooms.

I have long held that cameras should be present in the Federal courts, including the Supreme Court, because what I said about State courts is not yet a requirement in Federal courts. Cameras would boost transparency and help Americans grow in confidence and understanding of the Federal Judiciary if we had cameras in the Federal courtrooms.

It has been maybe a joke that a couple of the Supreme Court Justices said that having cameras at the Supreme Court would be over their dead body. I don't wish anybody at the Federal court, whether they are liberals or conservatives on that court, to pass because of cameras in the courtrooms, but I happen to believe that cameras in the Federal courts, like State courts, would boost transparency and help Americans grow in confidence and understanding of the Judiciary.

When pivotal moments in history happen, we shouldn't be timid in calling for greater transparency that history demands in the Federal courts.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source