Kane becomes the 29th county and the 12th circuit in Illinois to participate in the pilot project allowing cameras in trial courtrooms.
"With the addition of Kane County, half of the Illinois Circuit Courts now participate in the Illinois Supreme Court'scameras in the courtroom pilot project," Chief Justice Kilbride said.
According to a news release, the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit plans to implement the pilot project starting June 10, 2013.
In applying for participation in the program, Chief Judge Judith Brawka asked that the pilot project proceed only in the Kane County Courthouse in Geneva and the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles in order to provide a model before it is expanded to other branch court facilities in the Circuit.
One change the 16th Circuit has from other participating judicial circuits is that the media coordinator is required to provide written notice of the media's request for coverage of the case to the attorneys of record; parties appearing without counsel; and the judge presiding over the case. In the other circuits, the notice is carried out by the Clerk of the Court.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE:DuPage Murder Trial Case Study For Cameras In Courtrooms
In January 2012 the Illinois Supreme Court announced approval of a pilot project to allow news media cameras and audio in trial courtrooms in Illinois. Since then, 28 counties in 11 judicial circuits across Illinois have been participating in the pilot program, opening the trial courtrooms to news photographers and electronic news media to cover cases.
Kane County in the 16th Circuit joins Lake County in the 19th Judicial Circuit; DeKalb and Kendall counties in the 23rd Judicial Circuit; Knox County in the Ninth Judicial Circuit; McLean County in the 11th Judicial Circuit; DuPage County in the 18th Judicial Circuit; Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union and Williamson counties in the First Judicial Circuit; Boone and Winne- bago counties in the 17th Judicial Circuit; Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle and Stephenson counties in the 15th Judicial Circuit; Madison County in the Third Judicial Circuit; Kankakee County in the 21st Judicial Circuit; and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in the 14th Judicial Circuit where extended media coverage was approved by the Supreme Court.