Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride seems pretty pleased with the progress of the pilot project to allow news cameras and microphones in Illinois trial courtrooms.

To date, 25 counties have been approved to participate in the first-ever extended media coverage experiment. The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court in McHenry County is not yet among those 25. We are hopeful that we soon will join them.

On Friday, the Northwest Herald is joining other stakeholders in a meeting at the county courthouse in Woodstock to discuss joining the pilot project. We are looking forward to helping open up our criminal justice system to better media coverage.