Chief judge wants cameras in NYS courts

ALBANY, NY (AP) - The state's top judge wants courtrooms open to camera coverage so New Yorkers can see for themselves how justice works.

Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who presides at the Court of Appeals where arguments are routinely broadcast online, is calling for a change in state law so people can know how laws are being interpreted, rights determined, criminals punished and tax dollars spent for the courts and legal system.

While some judges now permit still photographers and video cameras on a limited case-by-case basis, he says access is cumbersome and requires judges to navigate an outdated law.

While New York lawmakers 25 years ago approved camera coverage of court proceedings on an experimental basis, that legislation lapsed 10 years later.