Window on Iowa courts opens wider

By The Des Moines Register

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The public now has the opportunity to better understand how both federal and state courts work in Iowa, and it will be available on their computer or television screens. It is well worth taking advantage of this opportunity.

The biggest change comes in the federal courts in Iowa's Southern District, which is part of a limited federal experiment with cameras in the courts in 14 federal jurisdictions around the country. The first Iowa trial to be recorded is scheduled to begin in Davenport, and the proceedings will be posted on the federal courts' website.

Television cameras have been allowed in Iowa state trial courts for more than 30 years, and the Iowa Supreme Court recently began recording proceedings of oral arguments again after a three-year hiatus because of budget cuts.

But this is the first time a federal trial will have been recorded and publicly disseminated in Iowa, so it's a historic moment worth note.

Increasing access to cameras in the courts is an important way to improve public understanding of the courts. Almost all courtroom proceedings are open to the public, but it's not possible or convenient for most people to attend a trial in person. The closest they will get to a trial is watching coverage on local TV news or on media websites.

The experiment with cameras in the federal courts is a major change. Judges who set policy for the federal courts have for years fiercely resisted cameras in courtrooms. But last year, the federal judiciary approved a three-year experiment with recording some federal court proceedings and posting the video online. Local news media will be able to use the video in news reports on television and online or still shots in print. The public can watch the full proceedings on the federal courts' website.

Unfortunately, this experiment with cameras in federal courts is for only a limited period, and the rules are unnecessarily restrictive. Only civil trials and proceedings will be eligible for recording, which means the public won't see criminal cases. Recording can be nixed by the judge or by either party. All recording will be done exclusively by court personnel, using fixed-location cameras trained on only the judge, consenting witnesses and the lawyers. Recordings likely will not be posted until the next day.

These restrictions mean it's less likely that trials will be covered by news organizations that rely on timely video, and that defeats the purpose of having cameras in the courts: News coverage gives essential context and background that will be missed by simply watching the raw trial proceedings that may stretch over many hours or days.

Still, credit goes to Judge Robert W. Pratt, the chief judge of the Southern District of Iowa, who has been a champion of this experiment with cameras in Iowa courts. We hope that after the end of this three-year experiment court officials will make it permanent, and relax the rules so that the public will have regular access to the courts that were created to serve their interests.