Have to point to this very smart blog post about Judge Seidlin, of "judging on TV" fame:
"In 1933, Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis advised, ‘Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant.’ True to this notion, Florida is known as the Sunshine State not only for its weather — it has long been a leader in open government. But when it comes to cameras in the courtroom, does openness serve an injustice?
"After watching Judge Larry Seidlin’s on-camera antics in the Anna Nicole Smith proceedings, Norm Pattis thinks so. At his blog Crime & Federalism, he says Seidlin singlehandedly rests the case against cameras in the courtroom. ‘The judge sniveled and emoted like a pro se in traffic court for the cameras today, when he gave the lifeless body of Anna Nicole Smith [PDF] to the lawyer for her five-year-old daughter.’"
Highly recommend reading the entire post (& links)!