NCJ Number
151055
Date Published
1994
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the concept of the appearance of justice, the significance of the appearance of justice, and the ways in which conventional television and Court TV help shape this appearance.
Abstract
The appearance of justice is so important that our legal institutions have established procedures and rules to ensure that courts are not only just, but also appear to be so. However, traditional televisions depiction of crime and justice has many shortcomings. Television programs may have made good entertainment, but their portrayal of the criminal justice system has been and remains not only inaccurate but also unfortunate. The viewer of conventional broadcasting is told that the world is a more violent place than it actual is and that the criminal justice process is designed to aid criminals by making it difficult for upstanding citizens to bring guilty persons to justice. Court TV is a welcome innovation. It may change some of these erroneous perceptions. Although it has problems, it is more accurate than traditional television in its depiction of the court system, its procedures, and its underlying values. Whether or not its owners improve it or alternative broadcasts complement it, Court TV will continue to educate and explain the justice system to many who otherwise would not understand it, thereby contributing to American culture and governance. Footnotes