a. Prohibited Activities. The following activities are prohibited in the courtroom and its
environs, whether or not court is in session:
1. Audio or video recording of any kind;
2. Radio or television broadcasting;
3. Photographs;
4. Use of any electronic device to record or transmit anything from the courtroom or its
environs, including visual images, testimony, or data; and
5. The use of a noise-producing electronic device, unless the device is necessary for a person’s
health or welfare (for example, a breathing device or a motorized wheelchair).
The court may make exceptions to these prohibitions for security purposes, ceremonial
proceedings, and educational seminars.
b. Computers, Cell Phones, and Other Portable Communication Devices. Computers, cell
phones, and other portable communication devices are not permitted in courtrooms or their
environs unless specifically authorized by order of the court. If such a device is permitted in a
courtroom or its environs, it must be disabled from making an audible sound while in the
courtroom or its environs. Members of the Bar and employees of members of the Bar are
exempted from the rule. However, members of the Bar and employees of members of the Bar
must not access or use a cell phone or other portable communication device, absent court
permission, while appearing during any hearing or court proceeding.
c. Environs Defined. For purposes of this rule, the environs include all rooms, passageways, and
stairways in a courthouse, but do not include the private offices of the United States Attorney,
the Federal Public Defender, the United States Probation Office, or any other government
agency or organization not part of the judiciary. In any other building where a judicial
proceeding of the district court is being conducted or where court personnel or jurors are
located, the environs include all rooms in the building being used for such purposes and all areas
immediately adjacent to those rooms.
d. Exception for Court Personnel and Court Reporters. This rule does not apply to court
personnel or court reporters acting on behalf of the court and within the scope of their duties.
