COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County’s judges have released a proposed policy allowing news media to broadcast, photograph and record court proceedings under certain circumstances.
The Indiana Supreme Court recently modified a rule that prohibits broadcasting of court proceedings to allow certain exceptions to the rule.
Bartholomew Superior Court 2 Judge Jon Rohde released a statement Monday saying the Bartholomew County courts collectively worked with the other courts in their district in order to provide a consistent regional process by which members of the media may be permitted to broadcast or record certain non-confidential hearings.
The new process will be incorporated into proposed changes to the Bartholomew County Local Rules, which will soon be open for public comment in order to make sure that community members have an opportunity to share their views on these changes, the statement said.
The Bartholomew County Courts plan to follow the proposed changes until public comments can be considered, and the revised local rules are finalized.
The process to allow news media to broadcast, photograph and record court proceedings notes that the Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 2.17 prohibits this activity while court is in session and that requests to photograph the courtroom when court is not in session may be granted at the court’s discretion.
A member of the news media may request permission to broadcast by submitting a written request at least 7 days in advance of the hearing or proceeding through a specific form.
The court has the discretion to approve or deny a request and the court has the discretion to modify the request period.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
