INDIANAPOLIS — Judges in Indiana will soon have the option to allow news cameras in their courtrooms.
“People shouldn’t be surprised that this happened. This has been a long time coming,” said Joel Schumm, a clinical professor of law with IU McKinney School of Law.
Cameras in a courtroom provided a way for millions of people to watch the O.J. Simpson trial unfold more than 25 years ago.
In the years and decades since, now many states across the nation allow in cameras into the courtroom, but not in Indiana. But that will soon change with new direction from the Indiana Supreme Court that will allow for more eyes into Indiana's judicial system by allowing cameras in.
"I think it's a huge change, but it's one that's come after a lot of study. There was just a pilot project that happened in five different courtrooms around the state and before that, there were other ways to experiment and make sure this works. And what the court has come up with is a really fine-tuned rule that exempts certain kinds of cases, exempts certain kinds of witnesses, doesn't allow jurors to be shown on camera," Schumm said.
This massive shift in bringing transparency into the courtroom was a slow process.
Dave Arland, executive director with Indiana Broadcasters Association, said they've been pushing for this for two decades. Now, Indiana will join a majority of other states nationwide shining a light into a public process.
"This news from the Supreme Court is fantastic in our view because it means finally, the voice of the public and the eyes of the public can be in a courtroom, very quietly, respectfully seeing what happens in a court. And we can share that information with our viewers," Arland said.
Getting to this point of change hasn't been easy or fast. This slow process, Schumm said, was helped along by easing restrictions slightly during the pandemic.
"During COVID, when courtrooms were closed, the Supreme Court allowed livestreaming in courtrooms. Judges didn't have to do it but a number of judges did," Schumm said. "After something like that, this doesn't seem like such a major step."
And last year, the Indiana Supreme Court allowed five judges around the Hoosier State to try out allowing cameras in the courtroom, including Judge Marianne Vorhees. She was then still serving on the bench in Delaware County. She's now working as a special judge around Indiana.
She said during the trial period, she saw local newspapers, students and news outlets reaching out to utilize cameras in the courtroom. They came in, she said, without issue.
"I did not have any pushback from any attorneys, parties, witnesses. I think people are so used to media now and the idea of cameras in the courtroom, I didn't have any issues with that," Vorhees said.
Vorhees said in her two decades of serving on the bench, she saw time and time again, people are interested in getting a better look into our judicial system. She said she believes this new rule allowing in cameras to the courtroom will open that door to the public.
"So I think people are really fascinated by that," Vorhees said. "They really want to know what's happening. And they can say, you can come to court and you can sit in the courtroom if you want to. But people have jobs, some people don't have good transportation, so it does give people the opportunity to see what does go on."
The new rule will take effect May 1.