Courtroom cameras: Where things stand

Since cameras were introduced for the first time in Illinois trial courts last year, 35 of 102 counties have signed on to participate. Here’s a look at how things shaped up in the suburbs.

Cook County: Chief Judge Timothy Evans is a proponent, but a formal introduction of the pilot program has been delayed while officials in the state’s largest judicial system work out logistics.

DuPage County: In November 2012, double murder suspect Elzbieta Plackowska of Naperville became the first defendant to appear in a regional court with cameras rolling. The area’s first televised trial, also in DuPage, followed in April.

Kane County: Officials joined the program in May. Two months later, a St. Charles man being sued over permitting for a decades-old home improvement project became Kane County’s first subject of court photography.

Lake County: In April, a man convicted of punching a Metra conductor became the first defendant to face cameras in Lake County court.

McHenry County: Some officials have expressed opposition to the program. A public meeting was held in February, but the judicial circuit has not signed up to participate.