
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 8, 1994                   TAG: 9411080112
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                                LENGTH: Medium

SIMPSON JUDGE WILL ALLOW CAMERAS

Despite a mountain of mail from fed-up TV viewers, the judge in the O.J. Simpson murder trial backed down from his threat Monday and allowed cameras to stay in court.

Superior Court Judge Lance Ito said the media have been more responsible since an erroneous KNBC-TV report in September that Nicole Brown Simpson's blood had been found on a sock in Simpson's home. The judge also acknowleged that any inaccurate reporting happened outside the courtroom, and not because cameras were inside.

``I do not make any decisions in this courtroom based on public opinion polls,'' Ito said, sitting beside 21 cartons filled with nearly 15,000 letters, most of them urging him to bar cameras.

He said the letters do not necessarily reflect public opinion because they were solicited by columnist Mike Royko, who railed against TV coverage of the case.

In a spirited televised hearing, First Amendment lawyers argued in favor of keeping the cameras in court, saying they help educate the public and deter inaccurate reporting.

``The camera pleads absolutely, 100 percent not guilty,'' Court TV lawyer Floyd Abrams told Ito, borrowing Simpson's famous innocent plea. ``It didn't do anything wrong. It hasn't shown anything wrong. It hasn't violated any court rule.''

Court TV operates the single pool camera, which photographs the courtroom proceedings and provides a live feed to other electronic outlets.

Ito, however, was skeptical that TV coverage serves an educational purpose. ``Do you think there is a fundamental educational value in a case that is so unusual?'' he asked one lawyer. ``This is really atypical.''

The judge said he would allow TV coverage but would require that a remote-control camera, operated by a technician outside the courtroom, be used whenever witnesses are testifying. He said cameras make some witnesses nervous.

The prosecution argued in favor of cameras, as did the defense, as long as TV coverage wouldn't lead the judge to sequester the jury.

The defense opposes sequestration; prosecutors want jurors sequestered for the entire trial. Ito said sequestration is a strong possibility but hasn't yet decided.

by CNB