Can Court Watching Hold the Judiciary Accountable? and The Fully Informed Jury Association

Can Court Watching Hold the Judiciary Accountable? What is the importance of court watching in order to assure trust and confidence in public proceedings?  The trial court is supposed to conduct its proceedings and other public business openly. The court must ensure that its proceedings are accessible and audible to all participants, including litigants, attorneys, court personnel, as well as members of the public including victims, families, jurors and the general public. How can we, the public, demand the courts provide complete access to proceedings? Does the public have a right to the details of a plea deal? Host Teresa Wilke talks with Allen Rostron, Associate Dean of Students, William R. Jacques Constitutional Law Scholar and Professor of Law at UMKC School of Law where he has been on the faculty since 2003. They will be joined by Josie Ellerman and Sarah Duggan, UMKC law students and members of the American Constitution Society, to talk about the importance of law and courts. Before becoming a teacher, Professor Rostron worked in Washington, D.C. as a Senior Staff Attorney at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, where he was part of a nationwide litigation effort that included lawsuits brought against gun…