Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan's high-profile federal trial begins Monday, but unlike state court proceedings, the public won't be able to watch on television or through live streaming.
Federal law prohibits cameras inside federal courtrooms, a restriction that extends to all federal trials across the country. This means no Court TV coverage or live broadcasts of the proceedings.
"It's a federal law. It's certainly strongly supported by the justices of the Supreme Court," said David E. Jones, a former U.S. Magistrate Judge who worked several years inside Milwaukee's federal courthouse until 2019. "There is not a move that I've ever sensed at that high level to open up the federal courts."
Watch: No news cameras inside federal courtrooms - so what happens at trials like Judge Hannah Dugan's?
Jones, who also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the western district, said the camera ban stems from concerns about maintaining courtroom dignity.
"I think there is a concern about maintaining dignity. It sounds like an old-fashioned word, but it is, it's a concept that is incredibly important to the ethos of federal court practice," Jones said.
We asked Jones to help explain the federal court process - NOT the specifics of the Dugan case.
The former magistrate judge explained that federal trials carry additional weight compared to other proceedings.
"A federal trial, just by the nomenclature, there's a seriousness to it, an importance to it. It's the federal government bringing the action," Jones said.
While Wisconsin law allows cameras in state courts, not all states have similar provisions. However, all federal courts maintain the camera prohibition.
Despite the lack of broadcast coverage, the public can still observe the trial in person. The Dugan trial will include a limited public overflow room for those wanting to watch the proceedings.
"They're the people's courts. They really are," Jones said. "It's available to you. It absolutely is."
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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