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Chapter 2 (Rules 1.20 to 1.27): media coverage (Rule 1.20); requests for coverage (Rule 1.21); limitation on coverage (Rule 1.22); prohibited coverage (Rule 1.23); parking limitations for media vehicles (Rule 1.24); areas in court facilities where media activities are authorized (Rule 1.25); video recording and still photography (Rule 1.26); and body worn cameras (Rule 1.27).
California > First Appellate District > Contra Costa County > Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Chapter 2. Media Coverage Rule 1.20. Media Coverage These procedures are adopted by the Court for the protection of all parties to ensure the secure and efficient handling of cases and events in all courtrooms of the Superior Court for Contra Costa County and related facilities including all buildings containing courtrooms. No filming, photography or electronic recording is permitted in the courthouses except as permitted in the courthouse or the courtroom consistent with California Rules of Court, Rule 1.150 and this Local Court Rule. Violation of this rule may result in termination of media coverage, removal of equipment, contempt of court proceedings, or monetary sanctions as provided by law. (Rule 1.20 revised effective 1/1/15) Rule 1.21. Requests for Coverage Requests for any type of video, still photography, or audio coverage, including pool cameras, must be made in compliance with California Rules of Court, Rule 1.150(e)(1), and submitted to the judicial officer assigned to hear the case on the, “Media Request to Photograph, Record, or Broadcast,” (Judicial Council Form MC-500) accompanied by the, “Order on Media Request to Permit Coverage” (Judicial Council Form MC-510). For such requests that do not involve a courtroom, they must be submitted to the Presiding Judge on the same forms. (Rule 1.21 revised effective 1/1/15) Rule 1.22. Limitation on Coverage The following limitations apply, unless an exception is expressly permitted by statute, written judicial order, or as permitted by rule 1.25. (1) Videotaping, photographing, or electronic recording by the media and/or the general public is not permitted in any part of the courthouse, including but not limited to, lobby areas, halls, stairs, elevators, clerks’ windows, or meeting rooms. (2) Videotaping, photographic equipment, and electronic recording devices must be turned off while transporting them in any area of the Court. (3) All audible electronic devices must be turned off when they are in courtrooms. (4) Any photography of the interior of a courtroom through glass door windows or from between the two sets of doors to a courtroom is prohibited, even if an exception is granted for courthouse areas outside of the courtroom. (5) When audio and/or video recording is not permitted by the judicial officer assigned to hear a case, electronic recording devices may be taken into the courtroom, only if they are not turned on and remain inside an enclosed case, bag or other container, unless otherwise prohibited by the judicial officer assigned to the case. (Rule 1.22 revised effective 1/1/15) Rule 1.23. Prohibited Coverage In no event will coverage be allowed as to any of the following: [see California Rule or Court 1.150(e)(6)] (1) A proceeding closed to the public (e.g., juvenile cases); (2) Jurors or spectators; (3) Jury selection; (4) Conferences between an attorney and client, witness, or aide; (5) Conferences between attorneys; (6) Conferences between counsel and a judicial officer at the bench (“sidebars”); or (7) Proceedings held in chambers. (Rule 1.23 revised effective 1/1/15) Rule 1.24. Parking Limitations for Media Vehicles No media vehicles may be parked in an unauthorized place surrounding the courthouse except with permission from the Presiding Judge. If at any time any vehicle is parked improperly, without such permission, the order permitting photographic and/or electronic coverage, in regard to the operator of that vehicle, may be revoked without further hearing. (Rule 1.24 revised effective 1/1/16) Rule 1.25. Areas in Court Facilities Where Media Activities are Authorized Photos, news conferences, and on-camera statements to members of the media or the general public are allowed only in areas specified for that purpose. The following areas are allowed unless otherwise ordered by the Presiding Judge. Requests for exceptions must be made to the Presiding Judge. (1) Wakefield Taylor Courthouse [725 Court Street, Martinez]. Front steps and sidewalk area as long as entering or exiting through the related doorways is not blocked in any way. (2) A. F. Bray Courthouse [1020 Ward Street, Martinez]. Northwest end of the courthouse near the flag pole and the southeast end of the courthouse near the wooden bench. (3) A. F. Bray Courthouse - Court Annex [entrance southeast of entry to courthouse]. Exterior entry to courtrooms or jail as long as access to the exterior entrance to the courthouse is not blocked in any way. (4) Peter L. Spinetta Family Law Center [751 Pine Street, Martinez]. Front plaza and outside stairs as long as access to the exterior entrance to the courthouse is not blocked in any way. (5) Richard E. Arnason Justice Center [1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg]. Area outside front foyer as long as the entrance is not blocked in any way. (6) George D. Carroll Courthouse [100 37th Street, Richmond]. Courtyard in front of entrance to the courthouse as long as the entrance is not blocked in any way. [Access to adjacent County Health Building also may not be blocked or impacted in any way.] (7) Walnut Creek Superior Court [640 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek]. Southside sidewalk area to the west of the entry doors as long as the entrance is not blocked in any way. Access to the courthouse means that a person or persons entering or leaving the building can pass by easily maintaining a distance of at least five feet between himself or herself and the media, interviewee, and any spectators to the media interview or conference. (Rule 1.25 revised effective 1/1/16) Rule 1.26. Video Recording and Still Photography Unless otherwise specifically prohibited by a judicial officer, video recording and still photography are allowed for non-adversarial proceedings such as weddings or adoptions. (Rule 1.26 revised effective 1/1/15) Rule 1.27. Body Worn Cameras Police officers with body worn cameras shall not activate the recording function of the camera in the courthouse unless involved in a law enforcement activity that involves conducting or assisting in an arrest. (Rule 1.27 new effective 1/1/18)
Chapter 2. Media Coverage Rule 1.20. Media Coverage These procedures are adopted by the Court for the protection of all parties to ensure the secure and efficient handling of cases and events in all courtrooms of the Superior Court for Contra Costa County and related facilities including all buildings containing courtrooms. No filming, photography or electronic recording is permitted in the courth
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-08 (California T4 Contra Costa build 2026-10-08) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-contra-costa/docs/general/july-2026-local-rules-final_0.pdf (the court's rule book, “Local Rules of Court Effective July 1, 2026”, as fetched 2026-10-08; 24267831 bytes, sha256 580a7d67b663a29aea78edf6b7d0fffb19be65430ad0770cad9f8cb543be811e; 274 pages) with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow) over the rules (PDF pages 17 to 191): each page's running header (“Local Rules of the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa”) and footer (a rule of underscores, “Local Court Rules – Effective July 1, 2026” and “Page N of 201”) removed as chrome; lines reflowed into the rules' paragraphs; Title One's heading and its first chapter heading set on their own lines, eleven rule citations the reflow broke at a line end rejoined, and six tables printed without rules set one row a line - Rule 2.40's attorney fee schedule, two cells of Guideline Attachment 1's commission chart, Attachment 2's attorney rates, Attachment 3's time summary and Attachment 4(a)'s probate calendars (18 whitespace-only fixes); Rule 2.160's local fees and the commission chart's header cells and sixth row, which the reflow read across, set as printed (three same-character fixes); the sixth row's number, in page 180's bottom band, kept (the composer's bottom_band_numbers option); no struck character (the strike report); the rules cut at the chapter headings, which reassemble them (Title Six is “Reserved”: its heading alone); proof 1 (whitespace-only) and proof 2 (same character multiset as the text layer minus chrome) pass. The cover, the table of rule effective dates, the table of contents, the list of local court forms, the index and Appendix A (the standing orders as revised May 15, 2026, superseded by the compilation revised August 11, 2026) belong to no chapter.
Division XI: information forms for data processing (Rule 11.2); required action - action taken on all calendared cases and a future date always set (Rule 11.19); and pro tem judges - an attorney named as a plaintiff in a civil or small claims case may not sit as a judge pro-tem during the case or within six months following its resolution, nor one named as a defendant in two or more such cases (Rule 11.22). Rules 11.1, 11.3 to 11.5, 11.7 to 11.18, 11.20 and 11.21 are repealed, and Rule 11.6 (voluntary arbitration; see Local Rule 10.2) was repealed and renumbered.
Duval County's indigent-defense and magistration rules under the Texas Fair Defense Act (S.B. 7): who may be booked into the county jail and on what paper; arrest-case numbering; presentment to a magistrate within 48 hours (art. 15.16); the magistrate's warnings, counsel inquiry, interpreter duty, indigence determination and appointment of counsel within 24 hours of a request; the alternative appointment plan under art. 26.04(g)-(h) with annual applications, seven attorney categories (capital, first and second degree, third degree/state jail/misdemeanor, competency, appeals, post-conviction, extradition), CLE and experience standards, random rotation within each category, written acceptance within 48 hours, first contact by the end of the next working day, replacement and suspension of counsel, fee applications within five days of completing services and the compensation attachment ($500 pleas; $175/$150 hourly; $1,400 per jury-trial day; appellate caps); bail schedules by offense class with a personal bond office (fee $20 or 3%), pre-trial supervision and revocation hearings within two working days; arraignment settings and notice; repeal of conflicting rules.