An online news outlet reported in a story, A New California Law Brings Hope of An Appeal For Lyle And Erik Menendez, that the Menendez brothers 1993 trial was “first trial that was televised and America couldn’t get enough.”
That is the first “wrong” in this piece. Broadcast and still photography covered Estes v. Texas in 1965. The first state in the country to enact official court rules allowing camera coverage in its state courts, which led to camera coverage of Chandler v. Florida.
Perhaps the article writer meant that Menendez brothers trial was the first trial in California to be televised, but that would have been wrong, too. The 1992 Rodney King beating trial was not only televised (I sat in that courtroom every day, just as I did both of the later Menendez brothers trials), TV viewers couldn’t get enough of that either. Neither could they get enough if the riots in L.A. that erupted after the four police officers were acquitted, nor of the trial of men who beat trucker Reginald Denny who just happened to be driving through a riot area.
The writer also got several details of the Menendez murders wrong.
What begs the question for me, though, was that even though California passed a law several years ago that might open the door for a Menendez brothers appeal, they have yet to do so. Why not? Especially since the clock is ticking toward a deadline.
Anatomy of a Trial blog 
Do you recall the trial of one Robert Bardo for the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer? It was televised on Court TV in October 1991. This was one of the first Court TV trials, though not the very first.
Marcia Clark was the prosecutor. The defense was insanity as Bardo admitting the shooting. The defense also opted for a bench trial. The judge rejected the psychiatric testimony and sentenced Bardo to life without parole.
For all you trial junkies the entire OJ trial is now on youtube. The channel is OJ Trial Uncut. Check it out.
Thanks! I’ll take a look.
Its great to be able to go back and watch the trial again. Im sure you will spend hours watching parts of the trial just like me.
I gotta find the time.