summary
Introduced
In Committee
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
112th Congress
Bill Summary
Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court (including the Supreme Court) or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference to promulgate mandatory guidelines with respect to the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act. Terminates a district court's authority under this Act two years after enactment of this Act.
AI Summary
This bill, the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012, would allow judges in U.S. appellate courts, including the Supreme Court, and U.S. district courts to permit public broadcasting, televising, photographing, or electronic recording of court proceedings, as long as it doesn't violate a party's due process rights. For trials, judges would be required to inform witnesses who are not parties to the case that they can request their faces and voices be obscured to remain unrecognizable to the broadcast audience, and the court must grant such requests. The Judicial Conference, a body that oversees federal courts, would be authorized to create mandatory guidelines for managing this media coverage. However, the authority granted to district courts for this purpose would expire two years after the bill becomes law.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. (on 05/18/2012)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/5163/all-info | 04/25/2013 |
| Bill | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr5163ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr5163ih.pdf.pdf | 01/30/2013 |
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