This week, a non-local videographer interested in covering Ian Freeman’s “couch trial” (Wednesday, 10-29, at 10am) contacted the district court to ask about taking a camera into the court room. He was given the run-around as usual, and they eventually came back saying that cameras were not allowed in the court room.
Recently, the judge has allowed cameras and voice recorders in with no issue, and we have been silent and non-protesting over it because of his great judgment in allowing freedom of the press. However, here is this videographer’s account of his conversation with the court:
*I’m very aware that cameras were allowed and I told him as much. I tried to sound aware, but objective – he basically told me that the no camera rule is because “there’s a group of people trying to make an issue out of ‘having a right to film in the court'” and that they’re revoking it because “the judge has been very lenient up until now and it’s been abused”.*
Is this the show of some sort of crackdown against us? What kind of “abuse” has occurred because of the allowance of cameras? Or worse, are they planning a hard crackdown on Ian, and are banning cameras to disallow any recording of what happens? Stay tuned for updates and possible disobedience.
