On Trial

Overview

The Americans have just finished an experiment which allowed television networks to plug into criminal courts. The test case was the trial of Joel B. Steinberg , a wealthy Manhattan lawyer accused of murder. The only witness was his live-in lover, Hedda Nussbaum , a children's book editor who had been battered by Steinberg over 12 years. Some stations took off soaps and game shows to run Nussbaum's testimony live. It raised important social issues, and put the cameras themselves on trial....