⚠ Recovered from a scanned original by OCR — check the official PDF before quoting exact language.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT F | [. E D
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
SAN ANTONIO DIVISION JUL 152020
CLERK, U.S, DISTRICT CLERK
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
IN RE: REMOTE ACCESS TO COURT § BY V7 0
PROCEEDINGS § DEPUTY
§
STANDING ORDER REGARDING
TELEPHONE OR VIDEO TELECONFERENCE HEARINGS
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal judges, including the judges of
the San Antonio Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of
Texas, have increased their utilization of telephones and video teleconferencing for court
hearings. This Standing Order establishes some general rules and policies for such
hearings.
No photographing, recording, or rebroadcasting is allowed. Persons granted
remote access to Court proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against
photographing, recording, or rebroadcasting federal court proceedings—including when
proceedings are held by telephone or video teleconference. Written transcripts for
telephone or video-teleconference hearings are available as for proceedings held in-
person at the courthouse. Recording or rebroadcasting a federal court proceeding held by
telephone or video teleconference is strictly prohibited. Violation of this prohibition may
result in the denial of entry to future hearings or any other sanction deemed appropriate
by the Court.
Attendance via remote access is generally open to the public. Although non-
sealed hearings are open to the public, technological issues with maintaining the video
and audio quality of hearings require that the general public obtain prior Court approval
before being admitted to view or hear a telephone or video teleconference. Those granted
approval to participate remotely by the Court must not forward the electronic link to non-
participating colleagues or persons, and they must not post the link or dial-in information
on any public forum. For purposes of this order crime victims are considered participants
and dial-in information may be forwarded to them unless otherwise determined pursuant
to 18 U.S.C. § 3771(a)(3).
Remote access information is available from the Courtroom Deputy. Any
member of the public may access non-sealed telephone or video-teleconference
proceedings and may do so by emailing a request to the hosting Judge’s courtroom
deputy. Instructions for how to participate will be forwarded by return email.
Video hearings are official federal court proceedings. Participants are reminded
that telephone or video-teleconference hearings are official court proceedings, and all
participants should conduct themselves accordingly.
e Participants must follow appropriate courtroom etiquette, although standing when
addressing the Court is not typically necessary on a video teleconference.
e All participants must wear attire that is appropriate to a Court proceeding.
e Anyone wishing to participate must access the telephone or video teleconference
at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
-e Participants must appear by video or telephone from an appropriate non-public
location where the participant can focus without distraction. Participating on a
telephone or video teleconference from a public, noisy, or echoing location is not
appropriate, including from inside a vehicle or public restaurant.
e Cell phones and similar noise-making devices must be placed on mute or silent
mode. Any computer or other device used to call-in to the telephone or video
teleconference should not make sounds or otherwise disrupt the proceedings.
e Participants must avoid using devices such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones
operating only via battery power; any device used to connect to a telephone or
video teleconference should be plugged in during the conference.
e¢ Open microphones or speakers, such as webcam microphones or microphones
built into laptops, should not be used unless the audio quality has been previously
tested and confirmed. Use of a high-quality headset (headphones with
microphone) will often provide the best sound quality.
e Participants should avoid poor camera positioning and ensure that they are visible
and appropriately displayed throughout a videoconference. Participants should
ensure they have a high-quality internet connection for the hearing. Appropriate
lighting should be utilized, and participants should avoid backlit light sources. The
background behind participants should be appropriate to a court setting;
participants should avoid cluttered backgrounds or those containing overly
personal or inappropriate information.
Exhibits are counsel’s responsibility. Counsel are responsible for the sharing of
exhibits during a hearing. For hearings conducted using the Zoom video conference
platform, Zoom support has a comprehensive guide on screen sharing that is posted on
the Zoom website. Participants in a Zoom video conference with the Court (attorney,
witness, case party, etc.) must prepare properly to ensure familiarity with the
application’s functionality. For security and enforcement of Court standards, the Court
may disable certain features such as chat, screen share, whiteboard, or any other feature
that is unnecessary to a hearing.
This Order shall be effective immediately and remain in effect until modified or
withdrawn.
SO ORDERED this 15" day of July, 2020.
.
ORLANDO L. GARCIA
Chief United States District Judge
