Chandler v. Florida

Appellant

Noel Chandler

Appellee

State of Florida

Appellant's Claim

Televising trials without approval from the defendant denies that individual his due process rights and guarantees an unfair trial.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant

Joel Hirschhorn

Chief Lawyer for Appellee

Jim Smith

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Warren E. Burger (writing for the Court), Thurgood Marshall, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Potter Stewart, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting

None (John Paul Stevens did not participate)

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

26 January 1981

Decision

Affirmed a Florida court's ruling that televising trials did not infringe upon the defendant's right to a fair and impartial trial.

Significance

Reinterpreted the Court's ruling in Estes v. Texas (1964), and paved the way for live television coverage of trials without fear of infringing on the defendant's or victim's right to privacy.

Related Cases

• Estes v. Texas, 381 U.S. 532 (1964).
• Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333 (1966).
• Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972).
• Murphy v. Florida, 421 U.S. 794 (1975).
• Nixon v. Warner Communications Inc, 435 U.S. 589 (1978).

Sources

Kiska, Tim. "O. J.'s Pandering Lawyers Jeopardize Future of Cameras in the Courtroom." Detroit News, 5 October 1995.