Congressman Connolly wants cameras in U.S. Supreme Court

Rep. Gerry Connolly today says he wants to shine a light on the proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The Democrat, who represents portions of Prince William and Fairfax counties in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, will reintroduce his Cameras in the Courtroom Act. 

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) reintroduced the Cameras in the Courtroom Act, which would ensure transparency and accountability in the judicial branch by televising open proceedings before the United States Supreme Court. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

“Our nation’s highest court is not some mystical priesthood that can operate outside of the public view,” said Connolly. “It is a coequal branch of government and must be accountable to the American public. In today’s digital age, it strains credulity that this modest effort at transparency would prove impossible or somehow inhibit the ability of our Justices to hear cases in a fair manner.”

Here locally and throughout the state during the coronavirus pandemic, government agencies halted in-person meetings and conducted business on online video services like Zoom.  

While the option for Viriginia lesgisltaors to log in and partipcate from afar is going away today, some members of local government still log in remotely to participate in meetings when they can’t be there in person. 

Adding cameras in courtrooms, in our community, in the name of transparency was the topic of an op-ed posted to PLN last week.