Bipartisan group of senators optimistic about push to allow cameras in federal courtrooms
CBSN
Washington — Amid a torrent of high-profile cases, including more than 1,000 prosecutions stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, a bipartisan group of senators said they are optimistic about the prospects of new legislation to allow camera access inside America's federal courts.
The federal court system, including nearly 100 U.S. District Courts and approximately a dozen Courts of Appeals, prohibit the use of video cameras during proceedings. The prohibition means the public can't watch criminal and civil trials from anywhere outside a courthouse, leaving some of the highest-stakes cases in America out of view.
Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican from Iowa who has championed legislation to end the court system's camera prohibition for years, told CBS News the prospects of passing legislation to allow recording have improved in recent years, and a bill might have sufficient votes for approval in this Congress.
