Chandler v. Florida (1980)
- Docket
- 79-1260
- Decided
- 1980-01-01
Summary
Question: Does allowing radio, television, and still photographic coverage of a criminal trial for public broadcast violate the accused's right to a fair trial as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments? Conclusion: The Court found no constitutional violation in this case. Chief Justice Burger first denied Chandler's and Granger's claim that the Court's holding in Estes v. Texas (1964) regarded television cameras in the courtroom as offensive to due process. State experimentation with "evolving technology" in the courtroom, as long as it does not infringe on "fundamental guarantees" of the accused, is consistent with the Constitution. Furthermore, Florida's policy was implemented with strict guidelines intended to protect the right of a defendant to a fair trial. For example, the state required its courts to protect certain witnesses from the "glare of publicity" and to hear and consider arguments from a defendant who feels that electronic coverage may bias the jury.