Maryland Preps to Ban Cell Phones & Laptops from Courts
On the heels of a Baltimore judge’s move to ban court observers from posting reports to social media sites, a statewide judiciary rules committee plans to adopt a policy in March that would prohibit people from taking communications devices—including cell phones and computers—into Maryland courthouses.
The Baltimore Sun reports that by adopting such a rule, the courts will make accessing the courts less convenient for the public and journalists. Under the proposed rule, judges, court employees, jurors, attorneys, certain government agents, law enforcement officers and “other persons” with written permission could be exempted.
“By shutting this down, you’re really shutting down information,” Ron Sylvester, a Wichita (Kansas) Eagle reporter well-known for his live Twitter coverage of trials, including the recent Scott Roeder murder trial.
Those in favor of the e-device ban maintain that it will keep witnesses safer, especially in Baltimore where so-called “snitches” have been photographed with cell phone cameras. The ban would also limit disruptions from ringing phones.
Others, however, complain to the Baltimore Sun that as more and more people become accustomed to accessing information via smartphone and laptop, outright bans are unrealistic.
Court policies on electronic media vary widely throughout the country. The Sun notes that a federal court in New York recently banned laptops, except for lawyers armed with a court order. Yet in Boulder, Colo., a federal judge last year allowed blogging and tweeting from her courtroom during a high-profile child abuse trial.
The paper reports that Florida is also considering a statewide policy.
More from ABAJournal.com:
Judicial Conf. Group OKs Model Rules Barring Juror Talk, Texts & Tweets
First Jurors, Now Defendants Tweet Mid-Trial
Juror Facebook Contact, $324 Food Prize Could Cause Mistrial in Baltimore Mayor’s Case
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