Cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during the trial of Richard Poplawski, a Pittsburgh man accused of killing three police officers. Although, much to the chagrin of local stations, the high-profile case will only air on closed circuit TVs made available for the expected overflow crowd of spectators.
While the case will only be broadcast within the courthouse, many see it as a potential catalyst for change in Pennsylvania, a state that has long barred cameras in the courtroom.
The court’s decision to allow closed circuit TVs comes as the Orlando trial of Casey Anthony continues to draw a huge TV audience, a connection that is not lost on WPXI news director Mike Goldrick.
“We’d love to have cameras in the courtroom. Look at the Casey Anthony case in Florida — there’s so much interest in that case,” Goldrick told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Local TV stations are running that trial as if they were Court TV. Cameras in the courtroom would certainly benefit the community.”