Alito Confirmation Hearings: on Technology


Arlen Specter: Supreme Court proceedings should be televised

SEN. SPECTER: I want to move now to a subject on efforts to have television in the Supreme Court of the United States, a subject very near and dear to my heart. I've been pushing it for a long time. The Supreme Court said in the Richmond newspaper case v. Virginia, "The rights of a public trial belong not just to the accused, but to the public and the press, as well. Such openness has long been recognized as an indispensable attribute in the Anglo-Saxon trial." Why shouldn't the Supreme Court be open to the public with television?

ALITO: I had the opportunity to deal with this issue, actually, in relation to my own court. All the courts of appeals were given the authority to allow their oral arguments to be televised if they wanted. I argued that we should do it. I thought that it would be a useful. The issue is a little bit different on the Supreme Court. At least one of the justices has said that a television camera would make its way into the Supreme Court room over his dead body.

Source: Sam Alito Senate Confirmation Hearings Jan 11, 2006

Samuel Alito: Voted to televise 3rd Circuit court

SEN. SPECTER: I want to move now to a subject on efforts to have television in the Supreme Court of the United States, a subject very near and dear to my heart. I've been pushing it for a long time. The Supreme Court said in the Richmond newspaper case v. Virginia, "The rights of a public trial belong not just to the accused, but to the public and the press, as well. Such openness has long been recognized as an indispensable attribute in the Anglo-Saxon trial." Why shouldn't the Supreme Court be open to the public with television?

ALITO: I had the opportunity to deal with this issue, actually, in relation to my own court. All the courts of appeals were given the authority to allow their oral arguments to be televised if they wanted. I argued that we should do it. I thought that it would be a useful. The issue is a little bit different on the Supreme Court. At least one of the justices has said that a television camera would make its way into the Supreme Court room over his dead body.

Source: Sam Alito Senate Confirmation Hearings Jan 11, 2006

  • The above quotations are from Samuel Alito, Senate confirmation hearings for his Supreme Court nomination, January 2006 (plus commentary).
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  • Click here for more quotes by Sam Alito on Technology.
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