HARTFORD, Conn. -- A group of a couple hundred judges is deciding the fate of television cameras in Connecticut courtrooms.

About 200 judges gathered at Middletown Superior Court Tuesday to discuss a task force's recommendations for making the judicial system more open to the public.

With few exceptions, cameras have not been allowed in courtrooms since the O.J. Simpson trial 10 years ago. One of the last times judges allowed cameras in a Connecticut superior courtroom was in the Karen Aparo trial in the late 1980s.

Acting state Supreme Court Chief Justice David M. Borden, who appointed the 18-member panel in May, said he plans to announce the recommendations he supports on Thursday.

In addition to allowing cameras in courtrooms on a trial basis, other recommendations include providing online access to criminal dockets and criminal convictions, waiving fees for copies of records for poor people and allowing note-taking in the courtroom.

Discussion about the pilot program for cameras and other recording devices took up much of the 2½-hour meeting. Besides having concerns about a potential "chilling effect" on witnesses, many judges were worried about graphic testimony and personal information being broadcast to the public on TV.

The two-year pilot program would be established at a state Superior Court to allow criminal trials and sentencings to be photographed and videotaped. The program must be approved by state judges.

Members of various media outlets spoke Tuesday in favor of Legislatures drafting a Constitutional amendment that would reform the access law.

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