Ever since OJ, television viewing audiences fell head over heels to see what most of us rarely experience – a look inside a courtroom – real judge, real lawyers, real prosecutors, and yes… real defendants. Not only was it a truly sensational case – does the glove fit, etc, but it gave us a view of our judicial system at work… Right down to the nitty-gritty.
Thanks to the Law & Orders, Shark, and other procedural dramas on television; we all consider ourselves experts in courtroom drama. “I object! May I approach the bench your honor? Will the defendant please rise?” are all phrases we’ve come to be very familiar with.
But now… Our couch-potato expertise can be put the test thanks to our state’s judicial branch of government further opening its doors to allow the media inside with cameras. After a couple of years of discussions, studies and a variety of committees, action was taken to make our judicial branch more open to the public.
Part of a more open judicial branch was to allow cameras in the courtrooms. Since a change of the rules went into effect in January, you the viewer have had countless opportunities to experience what happens in the court through the lens of the camera. In addition to our in-depth coverage of news stories that are moving through our legal system, this section of our website will bring you further into the courtroom, with additional raw video. This opportunity will allow visitors to our website to become further educated about our legal system and gain a new respect for a part of our society which often seemed to be behind closed doors.
Cameras have visited just about every courthouse across our state, but what’s been truly interesting from my perspective has been how encouraging our Judges have been to bring the court process to more people.
One big reason why broadcast news is my chosen profession is because of the curiosity of what was happening behind the scenes. It inspired to me to be part of the process. To put a newscast together it takes much more than an anchor – like my friend Al Terzi. It takes a whole circus of extremely talented people to inform you of what’s happening in the world. As a member of the media who’s been a liaison to the Judicial Branch for cameras in the court, I’ve found the court process very much like getting news on the air. Like Al Terzi, the Judge is vital, but the support staff, security, lawyers, clerks and others all make up a critical operation to allow us to live in a “just” world. That’s what we hope to bring you in this blog… A more in-depth look at cases and some education so you don’t have to depend on Law & Order but rather on our local judges and court staff to make you a more informed citizen.
On this site, take a look at some raw video WFSB cameras have captured in CT courtrooms.
The first piece of video – titled – Murder Sentencing – provides an extremely interesting look at the sentencing part of the process. Here, Hartford Superior Court Judge David Gold sentences four suspects convicted of murder in the Alexandria Clouse-Desmond. Shown here, Judge Gold sentences one of the suspects… but he doesn’t just hand down the sentence – he outlines the reasons for what he is about to impose. It’s an interesting look inside our court system. It shows how much work a judge much under take to make sure our system is fair and equitable.
The next piece of video – titled – Wilcox Insurance Fraud Trial – provides another interesting look at our judicial process. Here, Hartford Superior Court Judge Edward Mullarkey oversees this very high profile case related to the fiery crash on Avon Mountain. Witnesses, evidence, video presentations, cell phone records are all put on display before the jury to help them make a decision.
There two more interesting pieces of video we have here on the blog. Several Superior Court Judges from around CT stepped down from the bench and took on TV roles. CT Law Day is celebrated throughout the month of May and the Judges wanted to share that news with the citizens of CT.
Additionally, the Judges wanted to remind and encourage CT citizens of the rules in our legal process. So they took another Public Service Annoucement opportunity to discuss Jury Duty. Both PSA’s are informative and can educate you further on how our judicial system works.
Stay tuned for more Inside CT Courts video and additions to my blog. Next up, we’ll take you behind the scenes to explain the process of how our cameras get approved to enter the court – giving you a bird’s eye view of the proceedings.
Blog by: Dave Ward – Assignment Manager
Watch Murder Sentencing
National Law Day
[...] Channel 3 (WFSB): “Inside Connecticut’s Courts“. First post here, with [...]