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Nearby Courts Could See More Media Coverage
A local county will be among those that will be among the first in the state that could see expanded coverage of criminal trials.

The Illinois Supreme Court Tuesday announced that the 14th Judicial Circuit will be the location for the pilot project to determine whether or not cameras and microphones in the state's trial courts will work.

That circuit includes Henry County as well as Mercer County. It's not clear if the 9th Judicial Circuit, which includes Knox, Warren, and Henderson Counties, made an application to be a part of the pilot project announced a week ago.

The 14th Circuit also includes the Illinois Quad Cities, which is where Chief Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride resides. Officials in a press release say that because the T-V stations in that area -- Channels 4, 6, and 8 -- already cover trials in Iowa with cameras and microphones, that would be the perfect place to conduct such an experiment.

Kilbride says the goals of open courts must be balanced with the rights of the accused and others.

Whiteside County is also in the 14th Circuit. That means cameras and microphones will likely be in the courtrooms there for the second trial of accused spree killer Nicholas Sheley, still slated to begin a month from now.

Sheley was convicted late last year of the Knox County death of 65-year old Ronald Randall.
02 01 12 by Newsroom
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