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Photography, recording and broadcasting in the courthouse: none without written judicial authorization except under California Rules of Court, rule 1.150 and in the designated media areas listed in Exhibit A; rules for devices, jurors and spectators, remote viewers, generative AI, and law enforcement body-worn cameras. In effect for 2026.
California > Fourth Appellate District > San Diego County > Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
[File stamp: FILED, Clerk of the Superior Court, DEC 31 2025, By: G. Arce-Barraza, Deputy] THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO IN RE PROCEDURE REGULATING PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND BROADCASTING IN COURTHOUSE GENERAL ORDER OF THE PRESIDING DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 010126-02 THIS COURT FINDS AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS: This order has been developed for the protection of all persons with business in the courthouse facilities of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego (“San Diego Superior Court,” “court,” or “courthouse”), and to ensure the safe, secure, orderly, and efficient handling of proceedings and court business. This order is consistent with California Rules of Court, rule 10.603, which vests in the Presiding Judge the responsibility of establishing policies and providing a forum for the fair and expeditious resolution of disputes, as well as California Rules of Court, rule 1.150, which establishes rules for media coverage within the courtroom. This order does not replace the Juvenile Court Media Policy, which establishes rules relating to photography, filming, recording, or broadcasting in Juvenile Court facilities. Requests for any exceptions to this order must be submitted to the court’s Public Affairs Officer and will be considered by the Presiding Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge, or their designee. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that absent written judicial authorization, there shall be no photographing, filming, recording, or broadcasting by the media, attorneys, or members of the general public within any of the San Diego Superior Court facilities or grounds, including but not limited to courtrooms, entrances and exits, the lobby areas, hallways, stairs, elevators and escalators, business offices, and temporary locations that may be set up from time to time to conduct court business on courthouse grounds outside of the courthouse building, except: (1) as permitted within a courtroom by a judicial officer under California Rules of Court, rule 1.150; and (2) those areas specifically designated by the court as media areas that are set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto, or in the Juvenile Court Media Policy, available on the court’s website at www.sdcourt.ca.gov/Juvenile. The Kearny Mesa Branch of the court has no designated media area; any and all photography, filming, recording, and broadcasting within or on the grounds of that facility is prohibited without written judicial authorization. Except for the above-referenced outside temporary locations, this order is not intended to restrict the ability to photograph, film, record, or broadcast from outside the entrances and exits of any courthouse facility, provided such activity does not obstruct access to or from the building, or compromise security. Videotaping, photography, or electronic recording devices must be turned off while they are transported within any courthouse facility. Any videotaping, photography, or electronic recording of the interior of a courtroom through the windows of the courtroom door is prohibited. Jurors may not be videotaped, photographed, or electronically recorded anywhere within a courthouse facility at any time, with the exception that once jurors have been discharged from a case and have turned in their juror badges, they may be videotaped, photographed, or electronically recorded in designated media areas if they consent. Spectators may not be videotaped, photographed, or electronically recorded within a courtroom at any time, and may be videotaped, photographed, or electronically recorded outside a courtroom in designated media areas only if they consent. Camera-enabled devices and devices that capture digital images or audio recordings, including but not limited to cell phones, watches, eyewear, or other AI-enabled accessories, may be brought into the courthouse facilities and courtrooms, as long as the image capturing and audio recording features are not activated, used, or displayed without written authorization from a judicial officer. Any person or entity, including but not limited to, individuals viewing or appearing remotely, who wishes to document, photograph, record, or broadcast any portion of a court proceeding must seek and be granted prior written judicial approval, and must inform the court security staff of their intentions. Further, any person or entity, including but not limited to, individuals viewing or appearing remotely, who wishes to document, photograph, record or broadcast any portion of a court proceeding is prohibited from using generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) unless prior written judicial approval is granted to use AI. Law enforcement officers with body worn cameras (BWC) shall not activate the recording function of the camera unless involved in a law enforcement activity in the courthouse. If a BWC is activated inside the courthouse, the law enforcement officer shall inform the Presiding Judge of the activation as soon as practical. In the event a BWC is activated in a courtroom, the law enforcement officer shall notify the judicial officer assigned to that courtroom as soon as practical. Department court-assigned personnel shall not activate their BWC device to record: (1) attorney-client communications; (2) courthouse users who are acting lawfully; or (3) jury selection, in-chambers proceedings, Pitchess motion proceedings, Marsden motion proceedings, other closed hearings, or court staff meetings. This order is not intended to interfere with or restrict the rights of the media to request permission from a judicial officer to allow media coverage within a particular courtroom, nor to interfere with the ability of each judicial officer to rule on such media requests, in conformity with California Rules of Court, rule 1.150. This order does not restrict or otherwise prohibit arrangements set up by the court’s Public Affairs Officer to allow photographing, recording, or broadcasting by the media based on individual circumstances in an alternate location other than those set forth in Exhibit A. Such requests will be considered and a response provided by the Presiding Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge, or their designee. Special requests for photographing or filming of unoccupied courtrooms, jury rooms, or employee work areas must be made in writing to the court’s Public Affairs Officer. A violation of this order may be the basis for an order terminating further media coverage, a citation for contempt, confiscation of personal electronic devices, and/or an order imposing monetary or other sanctions. This order shall become effective on January 1, 2026, and expire on December 31, 2026, unless otherwise ordered by this court. Service of this order shall be made on the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. IT IS SO ORDERED. DATED: December 31, 2025 [signature] HONORABLE MAUREEN F. HALLAHAN PRESIDING JUDGE EXHIBIT “A” GENERAL ORDER OF THE PRESIDING DEPARTMENT, ORDER NO. 010125-02 EXHIBIT A – DESIGNATED MEDIA AREAS Photos, videos, press conferences, and on-camera statements to members of the media and the general public are allowed only in the following designated media areas: Central Division, Central Courthouse (1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101) ➢ 1st Floor – South End of Hallway, Left of Dept. 102 ➢ 2nd Floor – South End of Hallway, Left of Dept. 202 ➢ 3rd thru 22nd Floor – North End of Hallway next to Elevators Central Division, Hall of Justice (330 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101) ➢ 3rd Floor – East or West End of Hallway ➢ 4th Floor – East or West End of Hallway ➢ 5th Floor – East or West End of Hallway ➢ 6th Floor – East or West End of Hallway East County Courthouse (250 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020) ➢ Ground Floor – Wall, North of Elevator Entrance ➢ 1st Floor – Wall, North of Elevator Entrance ➢ 2nd Floor – Wall, North of Dept. 7 or Wall, South of Dept. 8 ➢ 3rd Floor – Wall, North of Dept. 11 or Wall, South of Dept. 10 ➢ 4th Floor – Wall, North of Dept. 16 at Entrance to Elevator Lobby North County Courthouse (325 South Melrose Dr., Vista CA 92081) ➢ 3rd Floor – North or South of Elevator – Opposite Courtroom Involved in Media Event ➢ 4th Floor – North or South of Elevator – Opposite Courtroom Involved in Media Event ➢ 1st Floor – North Building Lobby – South Wall South County Courthouse (500 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910) ➢ 1st Floor Lobby – North of the Upward Escalator Cameras must film toward the wall (as opposed to down the hallway) in these designated areas that are marked by signage. For photography, filming, recording, or broadcasting within or on the grounds of the Juvenile Court, see the Juvenile Court Media Policy, available on the court’s website at www.sdcourt.ca.gov/Juvenile. The Kearny Mesa Branch of the court has no authorized designated media area; any and all photography, filming, recording, and broadcasting within or on the grounds of that facility is prohibited without written judicial authorization.
[File stamp: FILED, Clerk of the Superior Court, DEC 31 2025, By: G. Arce-Barraza, Deputy] THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO IN RE PROCEDURE REGULATING PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND BROADCASTING IN COURTHOUSE GENERAL ORDER OF THE PRESIDING DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 010126-02 THIS COURT FINDS AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS: This order has been developed for the protection of all per
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-28 (California T3 San Diego build) from BenchPath custody ca/t3/ca-san-diego/go/general_order_010126-02.pdf (347736 bytes, sha256 5874d87b3e4e0976717825506e3f965186d96225e6b7551a5170f3e55e052de5; 8 pages) - the court's own posted PDF, a scan with no usable text layer: transcribed from the rendered page images, every page read against the image; a machine reading (RapidOCR) was used only as a second reader for a word-level diff; every quotation mark, apostrophe, dash and section sign checked in full-resolution crops; pleading line numbers and “///” fill marks omitted; the file stamp and signature bracketed. Printed irregularities are kept as printed.
9 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-10.
6 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-13.