Bench Bar Press Committee

The Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington (BBP) was formed in 1963 to foster better understanding and working relationships between judges, lawyers and journalists who cover legal issues and courtroom stories. The mission of the Committee is to seek to accommodate, as much as possible, the tensions between the constitutional values of "free press" and "fair trial" through educational events and relationship building.

The BBP Committee is chaired by the Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court and includes representatives from the legal profession, judiciary, law enforcement and the news media. The committee meets as a whole once or twice each year to review the state of relations between the various interested groups and to plan educational and other activities. Subcommittees of volunteers are organized on an ad hoc basis to plan and execute the educational and other events.

Since its creation in 1963, the BBP Committee has undertaken several important projects. It was the catalyst in opening up courtrooms to broadcast and still camera coverage in 1976. The Committee conducted a lengthy study and camera coverage of an actual criminal trial that was produced as though it were a television news story. The Washington State Supreme Court was so impressed with the result that it unanimously adopted a rule allowing cameras in all Washington state courtrooms on a permanent basis. At the time, Washington was only the second state in the nation to allow cameras in the courtroom.

The Committee has developed a "Bench-Bar-Press Statement of Principles" which are not binding, but provide practical guidance on the relationships between judges, lawyers and the press, and are intended to promote a better working relationship between the bench, bar and news media.

A special subcommittee of the Bench-Bar-Press Committee, the Liaison Committee ("Fire Brigade"), has been created to help sort out conflicts of courtroom coverage. The Fire Brigade can speak with, or mediate on behalf of, any lawyer, judge or journalist facing a "free press/fair trial" issue. The Fire Brigade has a strong record of successfully suggesting ways that fair trial concerns can be resolved while preserving free press rights and public access to the judicial process.

The Committee also has presented educational seminars and open discussion sessions from time to time, focusing on court coverage issues, which give judges, lawyers and journalists the opportunity to share views and develop open communication with each other.

"New rule means courtroom cameras will get their day in court",
     guest editorial by Judge William Downing, Seattle Times.
Revised General Rule 16 – Cameras in the Courtroom

*Honorable Barbara A. Madsen, Chair Washington State Supreme Court *Honorable Susan J. Owens, Vice-Chair Washington Supreme Court *Honorable Elaine Houghton Court of Appeals *Honorable C. Kenneth Grosse Court of Appeals Honorable Robert S. Lasnik Washington State Federal Judiciary *Honorable William L. Downing Fire Brigade Chair Honorable Gregory Sypolt Superior Court Judges' Association Honorable Larry McKeeman Superior Court Judges' Association Honorable Palmer Robinson Superior Court Judges' Association Honorable Jeffrey Ramsdell Superior Court Judges' Association Honorable Michael Lambo District and Municipal Court Judges' Assoc. Honorable Corrina Harn District and Municipal Court Judges' Assoc. Mr. Oren Campbell School of Communications of the University of Washington *Mr. Mark Allen Washington State Association of Broadcasters Mr. Scott Wilson Washington Newspaper Publishers Assoc. Mr. Frank Garred Washington Newspaper Publishers Assoc. Mr. Jim Lobsenz Wash. Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers Chief John R. Batiste Wash. Assoc. of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

Ms. Ursula Reutin Washington State Association of Broadcasters - Radio Mr. Darren Reynolds Washington State Association of Broadcasters - Radio Ms. Deborah Horne Washington State Association of Broadcasters - Television Mr. Ed White Washington State Association of Broadcasters - Television Ms. Nancy Roberts Trott Associated Press Mr. Richard P. Roberts Washington State Bar Association Ms. Sarah Spierling Mack Washington State Bar Association Mr. Chi-Dooh Li Washington State Bar Association Ms. Joan K. Mell Washington State Bar Association Ms. Sommer Baldwin Dykema Washington State Bar Association *Mr. Rowland Thompson Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Mr. David Boardman Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Ms. Christine Chin Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Mr. Ken Bunting Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Mr. David Zeeck Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Mr. John Hughes Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington Mr. Don Pierce Wash. Assoc. of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Ms. Julia Garratt Indeterminate Sentence Review Board Mr. Marcus Donner Society of Prof. Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi Mr. George Erb Business Journals Ms. Wendy Ferrell Administrative Office of the Courts