CHICAGO – The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will start allowing cameras and recorders in state courts on an experimental basis with the aim of eventually pulling Illinois for good out of the group of 14 states that ban extensive media access at trials.

"It is new to Illinois, but has been standard practice in many other states," Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride said in announcing the policy. He said he hoped "that it may become a standard practice in our state, too."

During the test phase, participants will have to determine if such far-reaching media access and fair trials can, in fact, co-exist.