"OJ trial set cameras in the courtroom back 20 years"
Maine Supreme Court Justice, journalists meet
BY ELIZABETH PRATA SALVETTI

(Portland) Leigh Ingalls Saufley, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court in Maine, met with invited journalists at the SALT Institute in Portland on March 20. The discussion centered around improving media-judicial relationships at a round-table that included representatives from Maine Public Radio, WMTW, Casco Bay Weekly, USM’s Free Press, and Capitol News Service, and The Monument Newspaper.

Leigh Ingalls Saufley, a native of South Portland, Maine and graduate of the University of Maine at Orono and the University of Maine School of Law, was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on December 6, 2001.

Saufley began with saying that court-media relations are better than ever. She said that reporters are doing a good job lately with getting facts right, hard to do when there’s a complex trial and even one small mistake can devastate. "I’m impressed with the quality of reporting I’m seeing," she said.

Saufley explained that when reporters ask questions relating to ongoing trials, Justices cannot answer. Even procedural questions are not answerable. "If it is reported that a Justice has answered even a scheduling question, they will be reprimanded," she said. She announced that Ted Glessner was appointed as media liaison in a new position that will streamline questions between court reporters and justices. "That way, we can get you the information you need without compromising the justices’ position."

Of high interest to the media representatives was whether cameras in the courts would be allowed to a greater degree in the future. Currently, reporters may not videotape testimony or any of the jury member. Saufley said that "the attempt is to try and help people understand what’s happening with these cases in the news," Chief Justice Saufley said. To that end, she is not opposed to cameras in the courtrooms for all trials, "but we are far away form that ideal." She explained that at one time the court was open to the idea. "The Wolfenden trial, a non-jury trial, was videotaped from start to finish. I thought then that it would open things up. The Press in Maine has been doing a good job with a thoughtful approach. Then…OJ." Saufley said that it is impossible to overstate the impact that trial had on judicial trials across the country. She believes that cameras in the courtroom "alters the availability of justice."

Irwin Gratz of Maine Public Radio countered that 40 states allow cameras in the courtrooms, even since OJ. "So are there ongoing concerns? There hasn’t been a trial like OJ in eight years," he said.

Saufley replied that there have been big trials like OJ’s in the intervening years. "The judge presiding over the case where the mother drowned her children in a car had discretion of whether to allow cameras in the court. He said no, fearing a circus." Saufley did say that she personally thinks it is only a matter of time before there is movement back toward recording trials. As of now, sentencing, arraignment ad opening and closing arguments are OK to tape or videorecord.

The group decided that strengthening the relations between the media and the courts may be accomplished through regional meetings. Saufley said, "There’s a huge distance between judges and local reporters in many areas. Judges don’t know the reporters. My thought is, if people know each other, then the trust is much greater."