Bill > S833

This bill, the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2023, aims to provide for media coverage of federal court proceedings. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It allows the presiding judge of a federal appellate or district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising of court proceedings, at the judge's discretion, with exceptions to protect due process rights and the safety and security of individuals. 2. It requires the presiding judge to obscure the face and voice of any witness (other than a party) in a trial proceeding upon the witness's request, and to inform each witness of this right. 3. It prohibits the photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising of jurors and the jury selection process. 4. It directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines for obscuring the identities of certain vulnerable witnesses, such as crime victims and minors. 5. It gives the presiding judge discretion to promulgate rules and disciplinary measures for media use in the courtroom, and to require written acknowledgment of those rules. 6. It prohibits the audio pickup or broadcast of conferences between attorneys and their clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, or the judge, if they are not part of the official court record.