Cameras in Courtrooms have been the cannon fodder for courtroom sketches for years. A recent court order for a trial in Florida highlights how judges are keenly aware of technology and reporters.
A temporary press room was set up for reporters covering a criminal trial. The reporters would be allowed to bring their “cellular phones, Blackberries, iPhones, Palm Pilots, and other similar electronic devices, as long as they agree in writing to not email, text message, twitter, type or otherwise use those devices inside any courtrooms within this District.” United States v. UBS AG, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67270, 3-4 (S.D. Fla. July 9, 2009), (emphases added).
The short and simple message of this order is very clear: Judges are savvy to technology, Web 2.0 journalism and are including these portable ESI generating machines into their orders for the press. I also would bet good money judges are including similar instructions to jurors.