The Manafort trial is starting up, and the lawyers involved in the case are filing motions requesting the ability to bring in their laptops (apparently they won’t be able to bring in their phones). Jurors, witnesses, reporters, and observers won’t be able to bring their phones into the proceedings. The electronics policy is just absurd. At least lawyers can bring in their phones here in the Southern District of Florida. But the public should be able to bring their phones as well. It denies the public access to the courts and it also is more unsafe to deny people their phones in case of emergency. Phones are permitted in state court and the sky hasn’t fallen.
State court is a circus.
ReplyDeleteThe public should not be allowed to bring their phones into court.
Lawyers should though, and the court should make you look like an asshole if your phone goes off in court.
The public should not be allowed to bring their phones into court.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
The public should be allowed to bring their phones into court. Establish reasonable rules and punish violators. It's 2018 -- people have children, elderly parents and employers who need to be able to contact them in an emergency. Low-income people who take the bus or train to court have no safe place to leave their phones -- should they leave their phones at home for the hours it takes them to get to and from the courthouse?
ReplyDeleteBecause they create distractions. It's bad enough when lawyers' phones go off. But at least lawyers have a real motivation behind looking professional and not interrupting the case with a ringing/vibrating phone - we have to appear in front of that judge again.
ReplyDeleteThe public has no real interest in not interrupting. Think of a reporter. If s/he has unfettered access to the court (which they by and large should have), and are not petitioning (only observing, which is what reporters are supposed to do), wtf do they care if the phone goes off by accident. No worse than in any other business meeting. A lawyer, on the other hand, will look like a buffoon and risk losing credibility in front of the Court.
And too much is at stake to have some absentminded jerk forget to silence his phone while imprisonment/impoverishment hang in the balance.
@12:17: a bit melodramatic. Observe a federal jury trial and see if what would be a rare occurrence of a ringing cell phone would truly disturb supposed hyper-focused jury concentration such to a degree that it would tip the balance of imprisonment/impoverishment.
ReplyDeleteAgain. This is not state court. No phones.
ReplyDeleteThis Manafort judge reminds me of the Huckster
ReplyDeleteIn my last couple of trials I notice a juror texting while I was questioning a witness. One was dismissed after both counsel agreed. The last one I didnt say anything but lived to regret it. And in closing argument a different juror's phone went off and I had to try to tell her it was OK in that it happens to everyone. Maybe we need to have jurors surrender their phones while court is in session, not just when deliberations start.
ReplyDeleteIf a juror is texting during your cross, you need to pick up your game.
ReplyDelete