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Electronic devices and recording policy of the Cass County Justice of the Peace Court, Precinct 3, effective November 20, 2025: which devices are prohibited in the courtroom and adjacent court areas; the prohibition on photographing, recording, streaming or transmitting during proceedings without the judge's prior approval; treatment of wearable devices; how to request court permission in advance and in writing; violations (confiscation, removal, contempt); the exception for court staff and law enforcement on official duties; the posted notice; and the authority (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c and the court's inherent powers).
Texas > Tenth Administrative Judicial Region > Cass County > Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3.
Justice of the Peace Court – Precinct 3 – Cass County Electronic Devices and Recording Policy Purpose To preserve the dignity, order, and decorum of the court, ensure the fair administration of justice, and protect the privacy and safety of all participants, this policy governs the possession and use of cell phones, recording devices, and other electronic equipment in the courtroom and adjacent court areas. Policy 1. Prohibited Devices The following devices are prohibited in the courtroom, hearing rooms, and any area required for court proceedings to be conducted, such as, but not limited to: court entrance / exit, court lobby, wait room, court offices, and restrooms unless expressly authorized by the Judge in advance. Those devices include, but are not limited to: o Cell phones o Video cameras o Tape recorders or other audio recording devices o Digital cameras o Any other mechanical or electronic device capable of photographing, recording, or transmitting audio, video, or data 2. Authorized Use o The use of any prohibited device for photographing, video recording, audio recording, streaming, texting, emailing, or any other communication or data transmission during court proceedings and/or on court property is strictly forbidden without prior approval of the Judge unless indicated otherwise. o This includes the use of such devices by parties, witnesses, attorneys, spectators, or members of the public. o Smart watches, fitness trackers, or similar wearable devices capable of recording, transmitting, or receiving data will be allowed in the courtroom but are subject to the same no photography, no recording, and no transmission of audio, video, or data outlined in this policy. 3. Court Premises / Courtroom Decorum o Court personnel should be informed prior to the hearing date if evidence on a phone will be required at the hearing. o Those scheduled for court may wait in their vehicles until they are called for their court case in order to use their personal devices. 4. Permission by the Court o The Judge may grant permission for the use of recording or electronic devices on a case-by-case basis. o Permission must be requested in advance of the proceeding, in writing, and must specify the purpose and intended use of the recording. o If granted, the Court may impose conditions on the manner, location, or scope of recording to avoid disruption, maintain confidentiality, and preserve courtroom decorum. 5. Violations o Adherence to this policy is required. Any violation of this policy may result in one or more of the following actions: - Confiscation of the device; - Removal from the courtroom; - Contempt of court proceedings as authorized by law. 6. Court Personnel and Law Enforcement o Court staff, law enforcement, and authorized personnel may possess and use electronic devices in the performance of official duties, as permitted by the Judge. Notice Signs stating “Pursuant to court policy, audio, video, and photographic recording is prohibited. Use is allowed only with advance authorization from the Presiding Judge.” shall be prominently posted at court and courtroom entrances. Authority This policy is adopted pursuant to the authority of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 18c and the inherent powers of the court to regulate its proceedings and maintain order and decorum. Effective date: November 20, 2025
Justice of the Peace Court – Precinct 3 – Cass County Electronic Devices and Recording Policy Purpose To preserve the dignity, order, and decorum of the court, ensure the fair administration of justice, and protect the privacy and safety of all participants, this policy governs the possession and use of cell phones, recording devices, and other electronic equipment in the courtroom and adjacent
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-20 (AJR-10 Tenth Region build, own-site layer) from BenchPath custody ajr10 corpus sources/county/cass/096875b2d8ad4a04.pdf (96,110 bytes, sha256 096875b2d8ad4a040f892cc859431de8e2a271b39205ebd6eccf8c2da97bad2c; 2 page(s)) - the document the county posts on its own website, not registered with the Office of Court Administration's TOPICs registry as of 2026-09-20: digital text layer normalised (whitespace, hyphenation, page furniture) and every page checked against the rendered PDF; signature and file-stamp blocks bracketed. Posted on the Cass County website; effective November 20, 2025. Published from the document's text layer; the sub-bullets are set with dashes.