Any justification for this policy? I can understand banning the use of social networking by court employees and personnel in the name of productivity. But applying it to court reporters and the general public? Can’t imagine this policy holding up if challenged. You never know, but it flies in the face of the concept of public access to the court system. I’m all for cameras in the courtroom, but I can understand, under certain very specific circumstances, where cameras can disturb court decorum and potentially compromise proceedings. And turn the phones off, by all means. But texting??? Notebooks are permitted. I could even imagine banning the transmission of notes from the courtroom itself (although that’s a bit draconian, too), but from the entire building?
I think sometimes judges get too full of themselves and think they are above public scrutiny. I’ve seen their arguments – even one specifically from a Maryland judge who said that the news media reports the drama without the proper context. But that’s prior restraint and not a call to be made by a public servant.
Hopefully, the Sun and other news outlets will challenge.
Any justification for this policy? I can understand banning the use of social networking by court employees and personnel in the name of productivity. But applying it to court reporters and the general public? Can’t imagine this policy holding up if challenged. You never know, but it flies in the face of the concept of public access to the court system. I’m all for cameras in the courtroom, but I can understand, under certain very specific circumstances, where cameras can disturb court decorum and potentially compromise proceedings. And turn the phones off, by all means. But texting??? Notebooks are permitted. I could even imagine banning the transmission of notes from the courtroom itself (although that’s a bit draconian, too), but from the entire building?
I think sometimes judges get too full of themselves and think they are above public scrutiny. I’ve seen their arguments – even one specifically from a Maryland judge who said that the news media reports the drama without the proper context. But that’s prior restraint and not a call to be made by a public servant.
Hopefully, the Sun and other news outlets will challenge.