Politics & Government

Cameras Continue Creeping Into County Courthouses

The DeKalb, Lake County and Kendall County courthouses have been cleared for cameras.

 

Three more counties have been cleared to have cameras inside their courthouses.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced that cameras in courtrooms have been approved for the new 23rd Circuit, which included Kendall County and DeKalb County, and in Lake County in the 19th Circuit, according to a story in the Elgin Courier-News.

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According to the story, "Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon has said he expects to have cameras operating in Kane courtrooms sometime this year."

The Illinois Press Association has reported that is up to the chief judge in each the state's 23 circuits to decide whether to allow courtroom cameras.

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"The policy will allow for up to two video cameras and two still cameras in a courtroom at the same time. Cameras would not be allowed in juvenile, divorce, adoption, child custody and evidence suppression cases," according to an Illinois Press Association report.

The 12th Judicial Circuit, which is Will County's circuit, does not allow cameras in courtrooms. Since the courtroom camera project began a year ago, 25 counties in nine judicial circuits have participated, the Courier-News story said.


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