FILED
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
10:55 am, 4/6/20
FOR THE DISTRICT OF WYOMING
Margaret Botkins
Clerk of Court
GENERAL ORDER:
GRANTING AUTHORIZATION FOR GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-04
PUBLIC ACCESS TO OPEN COURT
PROCEEDINGS
GENERAL ORDER AUTHORIZING PUBLIC ACCESS
TO OPEN COURT PROCEEDINGS
This matter comes before the Court sua sponte regarding providing the public access
to open Court proceedings in civil and criminal matters currently being conducted via
videoconference and teleconference due to the public health and safety risks associated
with the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). On March 13, 2020, President Trump
issued a declaration of a National Emergency which was followed by a state of emergency
being declared by Wyoming’s Governor Gordon on the same day. The World Health
Organization has declared this outbreak a global pandemic. At this time it is unclear how
long the National Emergency and/or state of emergency will remain. As a result of the
risks created to the health and safety of parties, counsel, court personnel and the general
public, this Court has imposed restrictions on the entry into the Courthouses in this district.
(See General Order 20-1). In addition, due to the serious risk to the public, inmates and
detention center populations and staff, this Court is conducting criminal hearings and
proceedings via video conference, and where video conferencing is not reasonably
available it is conducting these proceedings via telephone conferencing. (See General
Order No. 20-03). As a result, access to these proceedings by the public and press is limited.
To minimize this limitation, on behalf of the Judicial Conference of the United States
Courts, the Executive Committee has approved a TEMPORARY exception to Judicial
Conference Policy that prohibits the broadcasting of proceedings in Federal Courts. (See
JCUS-SEP 94, Guide to Judicial Policy, Vol. 10, Ch. 4).
Pursuant to this temporary exception, Federal District Courts of Wyoming may, and
this Court hereby does, authorize use of teleconference technology1 to provide the public
and media audio access to public civil hearings and public criminal court proceedings (as
authorized under the CARES Act, P.L. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281) while public access to
federal courthouses located in Wyoming is restricted due to health and safety concerns
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This authorization shall expire upon the earlier of this
Court’s revocation of this General Order or a finding by the United States Judicial
Conference that the emergency conditions with respect to COVID-19 are no longer
materially affecting the functioning of the federal courts generally or a particular district.
To obtain audio access to proceedings in the District of Wyoming, interested individuals
can locate the respective calendars for the Judges of this District on its public website:
http://media.wyd.uscourts.gov/htmlpages/calendars/judgecals.html and then click on the
AT&T conference call number link for that particular Judge, which is located on the far
right column. Please note a different AT&T conference call link is provided for each judge.
Conference call access will be provided approximately five minutes before the proceeding
or hearing begins and the public’s line will immediately be muted. Due to limits on internet
speeds and conference call lines, public access may be restricted or denied in order to allow
1
This authorization is limited to access through video or teleconference means directly to the court and listener and
does not authorize the more traditional forms of “broadcasting” such as livestreaming the court hearings on the
internet or some other unrestricted broadcast.
participation by essential parties and counsel.
Except for Official Court Reporters and Court personnel, all other listeners, public
or otherwise, shall NOT record the audio or video of these proceedings or rebroadcast
them and the Court may utilize monitoring technology to verify listeners are not making
unauthorized recordings or otherwise violating these restrictions. Violations of these
prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal from any actual or virtual presence
at proceedings, restricted or barred access to future hearings or proceedings, or any other
sanctions, including contempt of court, the Court finds necessary and proper under the
Constitution and laws of the United States. Therefore, it is hereby
ORDERED that the District and Magistrate Judges of the District of Wyoming are
hereby authorized to use teleconference technology to provide the public and media access
to public civil hearings and public criminal court proceedings (as authorized under the
CARES Act, P.L. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281) while public access to federal courthouses
located in Wyoming is restricted, due to health and safety concerns during the COVID-19
pandemic, subject to the restrictions on broadcasting or recording as set forth above. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that this authorization shall expire upon the earlier of this
Court’s revocation of this General Order or a finding by the United States Judicial
Conference that the emergency conditions with respect to COVID-19 are no longer
materially affecting the functioning of the federal courts generally or a particular district.
IT IS SO ORDERED this 6th day of April 2020.
______________________________________
SCOTT W. SKAVDAHL
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
