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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9 FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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11 IN RE:
GENERAL ORDER 08-21
12 ELECTRONIC DEVICES
PERMITTED IN COURTHOUSES ORDER DEFINING ELECTRONIC
13 DEVICE POLICY FOR WESTERN
DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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COURTHOUSES
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This order pertains to the use of electronic devices by the bar, media, and the public
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18 in the courthouses and other dedicated spaces housing the United States District Court for
19 the Western District of Washington. These are the Seattle United States Courthouse and
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the Tacoma Union Station United States Courthouse. The policy also applies to all other
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22 places in which the court holds session. It supplements the provisions of Local Civil Rule
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Visitors to any of the Western District of Washington courthouses and dedicated
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26 spaces are allowed to carry and make use of various electronic devices as set out by this
27 policy.
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1 General Rules:
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1. Anyone may bring into the courthouse electronic devices, such as a smartphone,
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laptop, tablet computer or a similar device having wireless communications
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5 capability.
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2. Except for courtrooms, persons may use such devices in public areas of the
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8 courthouse to make telephone calls and to transmit and receive data
9 communications, such as email or text messages, or to access the Internet. For
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reasons of privacy, safety, and security, use of these devices to take photographs
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12 or for audio or video recording or transmission is prohibited in all areas of the
13 courthouse, and especially in the security screening areas. There shall be no
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photography of judicial officers or court staff within the public areas of the
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16 courthouses without their permission.
17 3. In courtrooms, persons may use such devices to take notes, transmit and receive
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data communications, and access the Internet. This includes media members
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20 who are transmitting written accounts of the proceeding to a wider audience
21 using various means. Persons may not use these devices for telephone calls,
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photographs or audio or video recording or transmission. Telephone ringtones
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24 and other functional sounds produced by devices must be disabled while in the
25 courtroom. Only silent keyboards may be used in the courtrooms.
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Photographing, transmitting, or recording any court proceedings from a location
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28 outside the courthouse in conjunction with a remote appearance, or any other
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1 remote court proceeding conducted by telephone or video conference is also
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prohibited.
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4. A presiding judge may prohibit or further restrict use of such devices by all
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5 persons prior to or during a proceeding when necessary to protect the rights of
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the parties or to assure the orderly conduct of the proceedings.
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8 5. Advance written permission from the Chief Judge is required for members of the
9 bar, media, and the public wishing to photograph, video record, or audio record
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in the courthouse, provided, however, that with the consent of the presiding
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12 judge—or under such conditions as the presiding judge may prescribe—some
13 variations of this rule may be allowed for ceremonial occasions.
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6. Failure to comply with this order may result in either a Court Security Officer or
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16 a United States Marshal directing the violator to remove any photo or video from
17 the violator’s electronic device that was created in violation of this policy. The
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violator shall sign a statement that any image obtained through photograph or
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20 video taken within the courthouse has been removed from the electronic device.
21 The Court Security Officer or Marshal shall obtain from any violator who does
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not comply with such directive the violator’s name and address and inform such
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24 violator that the noncompliance may result in that person being subject to civil
25 contempt proceedings in this court. If the creation of any photograph or video
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constitutes a violation of any federal crime, the violator may be subject to arrest.
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This order is entered with the agreement of the judges of the court.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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5 Dated this 30th day of April, 2021.
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8 A
RICARDO S. MARTINEZ
9 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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