Fix the Court executive director Gabe Roth released this statement following the semiannual meeting of the Judicial Conference of the U.S.:

The Judicial Conference of the U.S. comprises a whole host of judges whose courtroom proceedings are more open and accessible than those at the Supreme Court. Given that, conference members should use this semi-annual opportunity to describe the advantages of live video and same-day audio policies to their associates on the high court.

As noted in last night’s GOP debate, appointing justices to the Supreme Court ‘is perhaps most important thing the next President will do,’ but with 67 federal court vacancies, appointing judges one and two levels below that will be a more immediate task for the next White House occupant. Transparency advocates should work to ensure those nominees favor policies that will bring about greater accountability in the judiciary.