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Dan Talbot murder trial 19 Jan 2010: KingCast to approach Judge Brady and ACLU on in-Court cameras and proper reading of SJC Rule 1.9.

By Christopher King

Dear Judge Brady: I respectfully request permission to videotape and to take still pictures and to record this trial of State v. Robert Iacoviello Jr. Not only have I been a local editor for a statewide Ohio newspaper (The Call & Post) and a reporter for the Indianapolis Star (Attachment 1), the precise activity that I seek to engage in is authorized by SJC Rule 1.9, specifically sections (b) - (e) inclusive, and (g), "A judge should not make an exclusive arrangement with any person or organization for news media coverage of proceedings in the courtroom."

I was told that I needed a set of specific press credentials but I do not see any such requirement in the SJC rule and there is most definitely no such limitation in New Hampnshire (see "NH Courts bids to make Courts current with technology" Attachment 2).

Further, if there is no major media present when I am present I respectfully submit that I be entitled to run full video as I deem necessary. Anyone who arrives first should be entitled to do so, by the plain language of the rules. As the ACLU and I have been recognized as the top two leading Constitutional Law blogs by the Masters in Criminal Justice website (I am #1), I will approach them should the Court continue to deny me the access that I believe is warranted by Rule 1.9. I will adhere to the guidelines anticipated by 1.9 and offer not to use the laptop computer because of the keystroke noise and I will definitely set my cameras to silent mode in the fashion of all other journalists who take video and still images in this courtroom.

I should not have to visit this matter upon the ACLU however, because I have been bringing cameras into courtrooms since the mid 1990's when I was busy successfully defending the First Amendment against lying State's witness, watch the new YouTube videos from my old VHS tapes right here.

Full post as published by Chris King's 1st Amendment Page on January 18, 2010 (boomark / email).