14.1. Recording and Broadcasting Permitted
An appellate court may permit courtroom proceedings to be broadcast, televised, recorded, or photographed in accordance with this rule.
14.2. Procedure
(a) Request to Cover Court Proceeding.
(1) A person wishing to broadcast, televise, record, or photograph a court proceeding must file with the court clerk a request to cover the proceeding. The request must state:
(A) the case style and number;
(B) the date and time when the proceeding is to begin;
(C) the name of the requesting person or organization;
(D) the type of coverage requested (for example, televising or photographing); and
(E) the type and extent of equipment to be used.
(2) A request to cover argument of a case must be filed no later than five days before the date the case is set for argument and must be served on all parties to the case. A request to cover any other proceeding must be filed no later than two days before the date when the proceeding is to begin.
(b) Response. Any party may file a response to the request. If the request is to cover argument, the response must be filed no later than two days before the date set for argument. If a party objects to coverage of the argument, the response should state the injury that will allegedly result from coverage.
(c) Court May Shorten Time. The court may, in the interest of justice, shorten the time for filing a document under this rule if no party or interested person would be unduly prejudiced.
(d) Decision of Court. In deciding whether to allow coverage, the court may consider information known ex parte to the court. The court may allow, deny, limit, or terminate coverage for any reason the court considers necessary or appropriate, such as protecting the parties’ rights or the dignity of the court and ensuring the orderly conduct of the proceedings.
14.3. Equipment and Personnel
The court may, among other things:
(a) require that a person seeking to cover a proceeding demonstrate or display the equipment that will be used;
(b) prohibit equipment that produces distracting sound or light;
(c) prohibit signal lights or devices showing when equipment is operating, or require their concealment;
(d) prohibit moving lights, flash attachments, or sudden lighting changes;
(e) require the use of the courtroom’s existing video, audio, and lighting systems, if any;
(f) specify the placement of personnel and equipment;
(g) determine the number of cameras to be allowed in the courtroom; and
(h) require pooling of equipment if more than one person wishes to cover a proceeding.
14.4. Enforcement
The court may sanction a violation of this rule by measures that include barring a person or organization from access to future coverage of proceedings in that court for a defined period.
Notes and Comments
Comment to 1997 change: This is former Rule 21. The rule is rewritten and now allows recording and broadcasting of court proceedings at the discretion of the court and subject to the stated guidelines.