Bill113th Congress

S. 405

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2013

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Introduced
Feb 28, 2013
Origin Chamber
Senate
Policy Area
Law
Latest Action
Feb 28, 2013

Sponsor

Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]

Republican·IA
Bioguide ID: G000386
First Name: Charles
Middle Name: E.
Last Name: Grassley
By Request: N
7
Cosponsors
1
Committees
3
Actions
0
Amendments
1
Related Bills
9
Subjects
1
Summaries
3
Titles
1
Text Versions

Bill Details

Update Date
Nov 15, 2019
Origin Chamber
Senate
Bill Type
S
Bill Number
405
Congress
113
Introduced Date
Feb 28, 2013
Policy Area
Law
Is Law
No
Feb 28, 2013IntroReferral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1014-1015)

Source: Senate

Feb 28, 2013IntroReferralB00100

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1014)

Source: Library of Congress

Feb 28, 2013IntroReferral10000

Introduced in Senate

Source: Library of Congress

Introduced in Senate· Feb 28, 20130

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2013 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party.

Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request. Allows a presiding judge to obscure the face and voice of an individual if good cause is shown that photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising such features would threaten the individual's safety, the court's security, the integrity of future or ongoing law enforcement operations, or the interest of justice.

Prohibits a presiding judge from permitting the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising of any juror in a trial proceeding, or of the jury selection process.

Terminates a district court's authority under this Act three years after enactment of this Act.

Requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines which a presiding judge must follow for obscuring certain vulnerable witnesses.

Prohibits any audio pickup or broadcast of conferences which occur in a court proceeding between attorneys and their clients, co-counsel of a client, adverse counsel, or counsel and the presiding judge, if the conferences are not part of the official record of the proceedings.

Judiciary Committee

Senate· Standing
Broadcasting, cable, digital technologiesEvidence and witnessesFederal appellate courtsFederal district courtsJudicial procedure and administrationPhotography and imagingSound recordingSupreme CourtTelevision and film

Introduced in Senate

Feb 28, 2013

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2013 — Informed