Loading…
No one but authorized court and court security personnel may photograph, record or broadcast, or activate a camera, microphone, recorder or broadcasting device, in any courtroom or courthouse (including entrances, hallways and court parking areas) except as Local Rule 2.17, California Rules of Court, rule 1.150 or a judicial officer's order permits; definitions of cameras, wearable devices and personal electronic devices; only media representatives may bring a camera or wearable camera into a courthouse; devices are silenced before entering a courtroom; law enforcement body cameras for passive recording; and sanctions, contempt or arrest for violations. Supersedes 2023-GEN-003-00.
California > Second Appellate District > Los Angeles County > Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
2025-GEN-003-00 FILED Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles JANUARY 2, 2025 David W. Slayton, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court By: R. Mina, Deputy SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES USE OF CAMERAS IN THE COURTHOUSE GENERAL ORDER (SUPERSEDING 2023-GEN-003-00) No one except authorized Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (Court) and court security personnel may engage in photographing, recording, or broadcasting, or activating any camera, microphone, recorder, or broadcasting device in any courtroom or courthouse in the County where the Court conducts business, including all entrances, exits, hallways, escalators, elevators, and adjacent or subterranean court parking areas except as permitted by Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Local Rules, rule 2.17 and California Rules of Court, rule 1.150, or as permitted by this order or other order of a judicial officer as set forth herein. This order shall not preclude any law enforcement officer from taking appropriate steps to ensure the orderly and peaceable conduct of court business at a courthouse, including the recording of criminal activity in progress. A law enforcement officer’s use of a body camera for passive recording is allowed, provided the camera is set to automatically overwrite data within the timeframe prescribed by the officer’s departmental standards. For purposes of this rule, the following definitions apply: a) Camera – Any device that has a primary function of recording images and is not part of a multifunction device such as a “smartphone.” b) Wearable Electronic Device and Wearable Camera – Any miniature electronic device that is worn under, with, or on top of clothing and having a primary purpose of image capture or recording (such as Personal Body Cameras, Go Pro Cameras, Lapel Pin cameras, etc.). c) Personal Electronic Device – Any device capable of communicating, transmitting, receiving, or recording messages, images, sounds, data, or other information by any means including but not limited to a computer, tablet, cell phone, or Bluetooth device. This order applies to the use of any and all Cameras, Wearable Electronic Devices and Wearable Cameras and Personal Electronic Devices as defined above. Except for representatives of media or media agencies as defined in California Rules of Court, rule 1.150(b)(2), no person shall bring into any courthouse a Camera, Wearable Electronic Device, or Wearable Camera as defined above. No person shall operate a Camera, Wearable Electronic Device, Wearable Camera, or Personal Electronic Device in violation of Superior Court of Los Angeles County Local Rule 2.17. To establish whether a person is bringing a Camera, Wearable Electronic Device, or Wearable Camera into the courthouse for the purpose of media coverage, security personnel may require that person to either provide a press pass issued by a local law enforcement agency, other verifiable press credentials, or a copy of a current filed petition seeking a court order pursuant to Local Rule 2.17. Personal Electronic Devices may be brought into a court facility but may be used only in accordance with Local Rule 2.17. All electronic devices may be inspected by court security personnel. All persons entering any courthouse shall comply with Los Angeles County Superior Court, Local Rules, rule 2.17(b), which provides: “While in court, no one may engage in photographing, recording, or broadcasting, or activate any camera, microphone, recorder or broadcasting device, except: 1) in a courtroom where the judge has issued an order allowing media coverage under California Rules of Court, rule 1.150 and Local Rule 2.17(d), or expressly granted permission, under California Rules of Court, rule 1.150(d) or otherwise, to photograph, record, and/or broadcast; or 2) outside the courtroom, if it is: i) in a designated media area, or ii) with prior written permission from the Presiding Judge, Supervising Judge, or site judge. No one may carry any camera, microphone, or recording equipment, or activate the image or sound capturing feature of any computer, mobile telephone, watch or other similar equipment in a courtroom without express written permission from the appropriate judicial officer.” This order does not prohibit the use of portable scanners, cameras, or copiers, provided such devices are used solely for the permissive purpose of imaging documents. Prior to entering a courtroom, cellular phones, pagers, and all other electronic communication or recording devices must be silenced or, in the discretion of the judicial officer, turned off. No such device shall be handled in any way as to indicate that a picture, audio, or video recording is being taken except in compliance with Local Rule 2.17. Any such device which disrupts the proceedings shall be subject to confiscation and search. Nothing in this order shall restrict a judicial officer’s discretion to regulate the use of such devices in their courtroom. This order is for the protection of the public, all parties, and court personnel, and to facilitate the fair and orderly resolution of cases. This order is subject to modification based upon specific circumstances and the discretion of an individual judicial officer in that judicial officer’s courtroom, the courthouse site judge, the Supervising Judge of a district or discipline, or the Assistant Presiding Judge in the event of the unavailability of the Presiding Judge. A copy of this order shall be posted on the Court’s Web site and shall be made reasonably available or posted near every security entry point into each court building, and at such other locations as the Court’s Office of Public Safety directs. Violation of this order may result in seizure of the device, monetary sanctions pursuant to section 177.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and/or a finding of contempt pursuant to sections 128 and 1209 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and/or arrest pursuant to Penal Code sections 166(a)(4), 166(a)(5), and 632. Any court staff, security personnel, or peace officer who becomes aware that a person is using a device in violation of this order is directed to advise such individual orally of this order and take steps to provide the person with a written copy of this order as soon as practical. Security personnel or a peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe a violation of this order has occurred are requested to prepare an incident report, and if the circumstances warrant immediate corrective action because the person persists in violating this order despite being informed of it or has violated the order in a way that appears to have a significant adverse impact upon court security or the fair and orderly resolution of cases, shall take possession of the device and bring the person without unnecessary delay to the courtroom judicial officer, nearest available site judge, district or discipline Supervising Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge or Presiding Judge, as may be appropriate, to determine if there is sufficient cause to believe there has been a violation of this order without good cause or substantial justification. Such judicial officer may take such action or issue such orders to show cause regarding imposition of sanctions or contempt pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure sections 128, 177.5, and 1209, and concerning the device, as may be appropriate. GOOD CAUSE APPEARING THEREFOR, IT IS SO ORDERED. Effective immediately, this General Order is to remain in effect until otherwise ordered by the Presiding Judge. DATED: January 2, 2025 ____________________________________ SERGIO C. TAPIA II Presiding Judge GENERAL ORDER – USE OF CAMERAS IN THE COURTHOUSE
2025-GEN-003-00 FILED Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles JANUARY 2, 2025 David W. Slayton, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court By: R. Mina, Deputy SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES USE OF CAMERAS IN THE COURTHOUSE GENERAL ORDER (SUPERSEDING 2023-GEN-003-00) No one except authorized Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (Court) and co
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-29 (California T3 Los Angeles build 2026-09-29) from BenchPath custody ca/t3/ca-los-angeles/general-orders/LIBSVCExecutiveSupport-366-2025-GEN-003-00UseofCameras010225.pdf (245364 bytes, sha256 00dd03a0296cd12c0206f7f1956355094e34765ca907a6388eb6e5a1026fd573; 4 pages) with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow), reading the glyphs drawn on the page: page numbers, pleading line numbers, the order number and running footer titles removed as chrome; the two-column pleading caption set left cell, then right cell (the “)” column and the box's rule left out); lines reflowed into the order's paragraphs; proof 1 (whitespace-only), proof 2 (same character multiset as the text layer minus chrome) and proof 3 (same characters as the glyphs drawn on the page) all pass.
9 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-10.
6 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-13.