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Accessibility in the courtroom

Opening statements are scheduled today in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers who were involved in the killing of George Floyd. The interest in this trial is just as ramped up as it was for Derek Chauvin, the former officer convicted of killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he gasped his life out.

Tou Thao, J. Kueng and Thomas Lane were on the scene of the incident. Two helped hold Floyd down, while the third kept the concerned crowd at bay.

Like Chauvin’s trial, COVID-19 concerns are keeping crowds from filling the courtroom, as they would normally be able to. To compensate, the trial was livestreamed in its entirety. The interested public was able to watch the whole proceedings, right up to the final verdict.

But U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson is not allowing that this time around. He is also limiting the number of reporters and family who can be present for the trial.

Courts are wary of cameras, fearing they may intimidate witnesses and keep them from testifying honestly, or encourage atttorneys to grandstand for the cameras.

The Chauvin trial proved that those fears are groundless. The cameras did not disrupt the proceedings, and the public had the chance to see for themselves what was happening in court.

In the interest of satisfying the public’s rightful interest in this case, Magnuson should allow complete coverage of the trial online.

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