NY chief judge nominee backs cameras in courtrooms

Judge Jonathan Lippman, tapped by Gov. David Paterson to head New York's sprawling court system, says he favors allowing cameras in courtrooms and the overall system needs ongoing reform to ensure it's transparent and accessible to the public.

Lippman, the 63-year-old presiding justice at the midlevel appeals court in Manhattan, was the state's chief administrative judge and helped implement jury reform as well as special problem-solving courts to deal with domestic violence and drug cases.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, noting he grew up with Lippman on Manhattan's lower East Side, says he is the best choice for the job. Lippman still faces Senate confirmation before taking a seat on the Court of Appeals, New York's top court.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)