Buzz
When Johnny Depp and Amber Heard went to trial in 2022, it felt like the world was glued to their courtroom battle. Every moment was broadcast live, while blogs and YouTube channels broke down the proceedings. People watched thousands of hours of footage, not wanting to miss any drama. But trial journalism's history goes back far beyond this highly publicized event. In fact, all of today's media frenzy can be traced to a single case: the 1935 trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, convicted of kidnapping Charles Lindbergh’s baby.
The media coverage during that trial was unlike anything seen before. Journalists from all over swarmed the courthouse, photographers scrambled for shots, and flashbulbs went off as witnesses took the stand. The media spectacle became so overwhelming that the American Bar Association banned cameras from courtrooms. This ban lasted for decades, but gradually, judges started to allow cameras back into the courtroom. By 1991, federal courts permitted cameras in civil cases, and shortly thereafter, Court TV was established to provide 24/7 coverage.
Now, nearly every state permits cameras in the courtroom with various rules in place. Since then, audiences across the nation have eagerly tuned in to watch real-life courtroom dramas unfold. Here are ten of the most-watched TV trials in history.
10. Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy’s 1979 trial marked the first time a serial killer's trial was broadcast nationwide. Just a month before Bundy stood trial in Tallahassee for multiple murders, the Florida Supreme Court made the landmark decision to permit journalists to film trials. As a result, over 250 reporters from around the globe filled the courtroom when Bundy took the stand.
Ted Bundy was both handsome and charismatic, and news agencies couldn’t get enough of his persona.
Bundy’s apparent charm may have masked his brutal and murderous tendencies, but it certainly made for compelling television. Judge Edward Cowart, astonished by the spectacle in the courtroom, compared the cameras to “a space center.” Bundy was ultimately convicted of two murders and sentenced to death. Throughout the trial, millions tuned in, marking Bundy’s case as the beginning of sensationalized true crime news coverage.
9. The Menendez Brothers
Lyle and Erik Menendez were wealthy, athletic, and attractive. So when they were charged with the murder of their parents in 1989, they quickly became notorious. Detectives claimed the brothers shot their rich parents and spent their inheritance before being arrested. The brothers, however, argued they were victims of sexual abuse. The entire case played out like a soap opera, and television producers quickly capitalized on it.
When the trial began in 1993, Court TV cameras captured every moment. The jury was unable to reach a verdict during deliberations, leading to a mistrial. Both sides braced for another round, and Court TV was more than happy to air it, especially after gaining three million new subscribers during the first trial. The public became so engrossed in the case that the LA District Attorney’s Office received countless calls each day from viewers offering advice on how to prosecute the brothers.
By the time Lyle and Erik were convicted during the second trial in 1996, millions had followed the case. Court TV’s ratings success inspired other networks to jump on the trial bandwagon. Luckily for producers, the ideal case for TV was already on the table…
8. O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson had it all: a legendary college and pro football career, fame as an actor, a massive fortune, and a beautiful family. So when he was accused of murdering his ex-wife in 1994, his fall from grace shocked the world. His infamous slow-speed police chase was broadcast live, fueling the public's obsession. By the time he stood trial in 1995, media attention overshadowed even the Menendez case, transforming Simpson’s trial into the biggest media spectacle ever.
When the jury delivered a not guilty verdict, over 150 million Americans—nearly 60% of the population—tuned in to watch on TV. Telecom companies reported a 50% drop in phone usage during the verdict. Water companies also saw a decline in usage as viewers held off bathroom breaks to watch. Once the trial ended, both CNN and Court TV experienced drops in viewership for non-O.J. programming.
The decline in ratings led news outlets to focus more on courtroom dramas. O.J. Simpson’s public intrigue never subsided. Two decades later, nearly 14 million people tuned in to watch the former football star's parole hearing after serving nine years for armed robbery.
7. Adolf Eichmann
While Ted Bundy’s 1979 murder trial sparked America’s true crime craze, it wasn’t the first televised trial in history. That grim honor belongs to war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann was responsible for transporting millions of Jews to death camps during World War II. After the war, he fled to Argentina and lived in hiding, avoiding prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials. However, Eichmann's luck eventually ran out.
In 1960, Israeli agents located Eichmann in South America. A year later, he stood trial for war crimes related to the Holocaust genocide. For the first time ever, Israeli courts allowed the entire trial to be broadcast live, marking the world’s first televised courtroom event. Millions watched the heartbreaking testimonies of Holocaust survivors. The broadcast was historic: it marked the first time much of the world learned about the horrors of the concentration camps. Eichmann was convicted of war crimes and executed by hanging in 1962.
6. William Kennedy Smith
In 1991, William Kennedy Smith, a medical student, visited Florida with his uncle. One evening, he met Patricia Bowman at a bar, and the two went back to his place. Once there, something went terribly wrong, and Bowman accused Smith of assault and rape. But Smith wasn’t just any medical student—he was the nephew of John F. Kennedy, and his traveling companion was Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. So when Smith went to trial later that year, Court TV was prepared to broadcast it.
The network aired the entire trial, and its ratings soared. Every evening, news programs like Inside Edition featured key moments from the testimony. The media frenzy became so intense that tabloid shows crossed ethical lines to gain access. One prosecution witness confessed she had been paid $40,000 to participate in two interviews on A Current Affair.
Smith was ultimately acquitted of all charges. The media hailed the acquittal as a win for televising trials, with coverage giving millions of Americans a front-row seat to the justice system at work.
5. Jeffrey Dahmer
Much like Ted Bundy over a decade earlier, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer captivated the public when his gruesome crimes were exposed. In 1992, as Dahmer faced charges for the murder of 15 victims, 24-hour news channels were still a relatively new concept. As they sought content to fill their round-the-clock programming, networks eagerly seized the chance to cover Dahmer’s chilling story. In Milwaukee, where many of his murders occurred, local interest was especially intense.
But Dahmer’s violent acts proved a bit too disturbing even for tabloid TV coverage. Court TV aired the trial on a 20-second delay as producers rushed to edit out grisly testimony about the victims’ remains. Other networks weren’t able to sanitize their footage as quickly. The disgusting content didn’t damage viewership, though. When the jury’s guilty verdict came back, more than 60 news organizations aired it around the world. Dahmer was sentenced to 957 years in prison for the murders. Two years later, he was killed by another inmate.
4. Rodney King
The 1992 trial of four Los Angeles police officers over the brutal beating of Rodney King didn’t garner as much of a worldwide following as some on this list. But no trial in American history has had as violent an aftermath as this one. It started in 1991 when King was attacked by several LAPD officers after a pursuit. A witness secretly recorded a video of the beating. When it aired on news networks, people nationwide were outraged over King’s treatment at the hands of the cops.
Four officers were ultimately charged with assault and excessive use of force. Tensions were so high that their 1992 trial had to be moved to nearby Ventura County. Courtroom coverage proved lucrative for networks, with viewers in southern California especially interested. That was nothing compared to what happened after the verdict, though.
When the officers were acquitted of the assault charges, frustrated Angelenos erupted. Five days of rioting throughout the city resulted in more than $1 billion in property damage, 63 deaths, and more than 2,300 injuries. With the horrified nation looking on, President George H.W. Bush had to send in the National Guard to restore order.
3. Lindsay Lohan
In 2010, Lindsay Lohan, the former child star of Parent Trap, faced a legal battle that, while not as severe as some of the others on this list, still captivated the public. Lohan had been called to court after two DUI arrests and several probation violations. What made her trial especially dramatic was her emotional outbursts. Viewers watched in real-time as she sobbed uncontrollably while speaking to the judge. The media storm escalated when cameras caught a profane message painted on her fingernails, adding to the frenzy.
Ultimately, Lohan received a relatively light sentence: 90 days in jail and another 90 days in rehab. But her case marked a turning point in how the public consumed such trials. TMZ streamed the verdict live in July 2010, drawing nearly 2.5 million hits on their website. This moment signaled the rise of online virality, which began to outpace traditional TV broadcasts. Still, despite the changing technology, the public's thirst for scandal and sensational trials has never diminished. From Hauptmann to Heard, interest in these high-profile legal battles remains as strong as ever.
8. Jodi Arias
Jodi Arias came under suspicion for murder after her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, was found brutally stabbed to death in 2008. However, it would take more than five years for the case to reach a trial. During that time, salacious details of their relationship fueled a media frenzy, making the case one of the first to go viral in the true crime genre. Arias's case was far from straightforward—her first two trials ended in hung juries. Eventually, she admitted to killing Alexander but insisted it was in self-defense.
During the trial, prosecutors introduced shocking evidence that Jodi Arias had taken photos of her ex-boyfriend as he bled out. Just as she had done with Casey Anthony, Nancy Grace relentlessly hammered at disturbing details about Arias’s relationships and state of mind throughout the lengthy 19-week trial. HLN saw a dramatic spike in viewership when Arias was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in May 2013. Her defense team was stunned by the 'circus-like atmosphere' generated by the extensive media coverage. They filed an appeal, claiming the court had failed to protect Arias from the invasive media frenzy. However, her conviction has remained intact.
1. Casey Anthony
The name Casey Anthony is forever tied to Nancy Grace. As a former prosecutor, Grace became a household name on HLN after the tragic death of Casey’s two-year-old daughter, Caylee, whose body was discovered in Florida in December 2008. Grace quickly seized on the case, referring to Casey as 'Tot Mom' and obsessively analyzing every piece of evidence. Grace harshly criticized Casey for allegedly misleading police about Caylee's last known location. The situation escalated when photos emerged of Casey partying after her daughter’s death, which sent Grace into an emotional frenzy.
When Casey’s trial started in 2011, HLN went into full overdrive. Grace's obsessive coverage paid huge dividends for the network. Over the course of the six-week trial, HLN's viewership nearly doubled. On the day the verdict was announced, 5.2 million people watched live, marking the highest ratings in the channel's history. When the jury delivered the shocking not guilty verdict, Grace famously lashed out on air, declaring, 'The devil is dancing tonight' and lamenting, 'Caylee’s death has gone unavenged!'
