Senate judiciary committee approves bill to televise Supreme Court

The Senate Judiciary Committee March 30 approved a bill to permit televising proceedings before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The bill, S.1768, would require the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of open Supreme Court proceedings, unless a majority of the justices determine that the due process rights of one or more litigants would be violated.

The same day, the committee approved a measure that would give authority to the presiding judge of a federal district court, appellate court and the Supreme Court, in their discretion, to permit television coverage of court proceedings. S.829, the “Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005,” was sponsored by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and co-sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA).

The measures now move to the full Senate.

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