NCJ Number
112523
Journal
Judicature Volume: 72 Issue: 2 Dated: (August-September 1988) Pages: 114-121
Date Published
1988
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article reports on survey findings on the attitudes of major actors concerned with free press/fair trial/privacy conflicts in Washington State and assesses the effectiveness of guidelines in bringing these parties closer together.
Abstract
In 1986 questionnaires dealing with bench-bar-press (BBP) issues were mailed to statewide listings of prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, superior court judges, trial lawyers, and print and broadcast media representatives. The survey determined the extent to which the major actors in the fair trial-free press enterprise mistrust one another, and it examined the relative emphasis each group accords free press, privacy, and fair trial considerations when confronted with a value trade-off. The adoption of voluntary BBP guidelines in Washington State has enhanced the major actors' appreciation for all the values involved in the fair trial-free press conflict. This has facilitated greater accord in decisions about how to handle general and particular media coverage of trials. The major actor groups remain suspicious of one another, however, which may be a desirable state, since a balancing of the issues involved requires that each group maintain a reasonable commitment to its own interests. 6 tables, 15 footnotes.