Court TV said it has hired Ashley Willcott as an anchor.
The move comes as the E.W. Scripps-owned network plans to cover the upcoming trials of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with killing two people in Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake; and Georgia v. Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William Bryan, three white men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man jogging through a Georgia neighborhood.
Willcott, a former judge, lawyer, mediator and consultant, will host Court TV’s live 3 to 6 p.m. ET block starting this week. She has been a fill-in anchor for Court TV since last year and previously appeared on HLN and CNN.
Court TV has been covering trials that highlight racial issues, including the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis policeman convicted of murdering George Floyd.
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The Chauvin trial gave Court TV a 17% ratings boost during the second quarter, with viewership peaking at 400,000 viewers, the highest since the network relaunched in 2019.
“It has never been more important for the court system to have full transparency with the American public. These unfolding stories are documenting important pieces of our country’s history, and the impact will be felt for generations,” said Scott Tufts, head of Court TV. “Building on our success working with Hennepin County in Minnesota for the Chauvin trial, we are honored to collaborate with officials in Georgia and Wisconsin to provide our experience in broadcasting these important cases. We value this partnership with the court while providing our viewers with unobstructed and unbiased views of the proceedings.”
