For the first time, the Supreme Court last week tackled the issue of whether television in a courtroom denies a defendant's right to a fair trial. The court ruled 5 to 4 that it does and, in the majority opinion, produced a strong argument for keeping TV cameras out of at least all "notorious" criminal trials.
Incalculable Impact. The case at issue involved none other than the 1962 swindling conviction of Billie Sol Estes, whose trial in a Texas state court was televised over his objections. Justice Tom Clark, reversing Estes' conviction,* declared...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
