FILED
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
NOV -3 2014
CLERK, U.S. DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EAST ST. LOUIS OFFICE
IN RE:
MEDIA ACCESS Administrative Order No. ll9 8
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
Effective January 1, 2015, the Court will allow credentialed members of the
media to bring the following electronic devices into the courthouse and
courtrooms: laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The Clerk of Court shall maintain
the list of eligible credentialed media members and shall provide said list to the
Court Security Officers for use during building entry screening. Nonverbal use of
the electronic devices in courtrooms shall be permitted provided it is silent and
does not create any disturbance. The presiding judge in the courtroom is
authorized to determine whether use of an electronic device is disturbing to the
proceeding at hand and to direct its discontinuance if found to be disruptive.
Credentialed members of the media shall be defined as persons employed
by a newspaper company, magazine publishing company, internet news outlet,
blog, radio company, or television company and who has signed an agreement to
comply with the policy of the Court (found on the Court's website). The Court
reserves the right to perform a background check and due diligence examination
on issues which would bear directly on subject matter at hand. Should that due
diligence result in a rejection of credentials, the applicant will be given an
Page 1 of 2
opportunity to discuss the reasons for said rejection with the Chief Judge in an
effort to determine if a reversal of the determination may result.
Violation of this Administrative Order will require the immediate deletion of
the offending material from the media member's device(s). Furthermore, the
credentials of the media member will be suspended by the Chief Judge for no less
than three months for the first violation, no less than six months for the second
violation, no less than nine months for the third violation, no less than one year
for the fourth violation, and any violations beyond that at the discretion of the
Chief Judge.
Photographs, video, and audio recordings will not be allowed unless and
until the rules of the Judicial Conference change to permit it. Any person who is
found to be recording visually or audibly any proceeding in the courthouse, or
photographing the same may be subject to a contempt proceeding and/or any
additional remedy or penalty provided by statute in order to enforce the rules of
the Judicial Conference.
'- [I~
This Order is dated this Oc...-1-C)V.Jen. ;21 - . 2014.
Chie United States District Judge
Page 2 of 2