Timothy C. Evans
Timothy C. Evans

As cameras are cleared for use in more county courthouses across the state, Cook County’s top judge has given the Illinois Supreme Court more details on his plan to allow video coverage in criminal cases.

The high court launched its pilot program authorizing media to capture audio, video and photos in courtrooms via a January 2012 order. That plan only allows extended media coverage in a given judicial circuit once the high court approves applications from that circuit’s chief judge.

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy C. Evans was quick to submit the county’s application in 2012. But the high court so far has opted to approve media coverage in smaller jurisdictions and learn from the experiences there before opening up the largest court system and largest media market in the state.

In a draft copy of Evans’ proposal, the Cook County coverage rules would go beyond the state provisions for a media coordinator designated as the liaison between news outlets and the courts.

Evans proposes creating a media coordinating panel chosen by the chief judge to organize media requests. That group would designate a principal media coordinator who would be the court’s main contact for the press on the policy.

The proposal, sent to the high court Wednesday, would allow the chief judge to appoint additional media coordinators from outside the panel if needed for a specific proceeding.

In addition, Evans’ proposal would prohibit highly sensitive long-range microphones and would ban cameras from documenting items on counsel tables or evidence carts before those items are formally admitted into evidence.

Under the proposal, a judge could require the media to pay to install a screen or divider concealing the jury from view of cameras.

To date, the extended media coverage program is approved in 14 judicial circuits serving 40 counties, home to just under 37 percent of Illinois residents.

Supreme Court spokesman Joseph R. Tybor did not provide a specific timeline for when Cook County’s application would be approved, but he said the project is a work in progress.

He emphasized it’s important to eventually include Cook County, and the pilot program won’t be adopted permanently until the court knows the policy proves workable in Cook County.

“But it’s also far more important to make sure that when they do begin implementing it, it’s implemented in the best possible fashion to ensure no disruptions and to ensure a fair hearing,” Tybor said.

The eight-page Supreme Court order on extended media coverage provides basic expectations but allows each circuit to cater to local circumstances with its own additional rules.

Tybor said the high court asked Evans earlier this year to provide a specific protocol on how to implement the pilot in Cook County, accounting for the vastly higher number of judges, courtrooms and media outlets compared to suburban and downstate venues.

Under statewide standards, the chief judge has the authority to deny all extended media coverage for any case. Trial judges have discretion to limit or stop coverage in their courtrooms if journalists don’t follow court rules — and the decisions are not appealable.

The Supreme Court policy also outlines that requests for media coverage must come 14 days in advance, to allow the court to give parties and witnesses notice in a case. They can then file objections to coverage.

Coverage is not allowed in juvenile, divorce, adoption, child custody, evidence-suppression or trade-secret cases.

The statewide policy limits the media presence to two TV cameras, two photographers and one audio system per courtroom. It also recommends pooling of resources between news outlets.

In a separate announcement Thursday, Evans said the Central Bond Court at Leighton Criminal Courthouse will move its schedule later into the afternoon to allow court staff and attorneys more time to create reports on arrestees.

Starting Saturday, the felony call will begin at 1:30 p.m. every day instead of noon. For the weekend misdemeanor call, that time moves from noon to 12:30 p.m.

In his statement, Evans said the change is part of efforts recommended by the Supreme Court to improve pretrial operations and create statewide standards.

When defendants are brought in, court staff in the pretrial services unit conduct assessments to determine each detainee’s risk to the public and likelihood of returning to an assigned court date.

The assessments provide a score that judges use in bond hearings.

Holding the hearings later will allow court officers and public defenders more time with detainees ahead of going before a judge.

“A later schedule for Central Bond Court will improve the ability of our pretrial services unit to more thoroughly screen detainees before their appearance in bond court, giving greater weight to the reliability of the risk assessment,” Evans said.

As part of the new schedule, pretrial services officers will be stationed in the courtrooms and will state the risk assessment score on the record and answer judges’ questions about the assessment results.

“This will help detainees and any family members and friends who may be present to better understand what is going on in court,” Evans said.