To Gabe Roth, Fix the Court’s executive director, the exclusion of witness testimonials from the live audio policy is a curveball. He voices the sentiment of many, stating, “Envision a trial interrupted – recording devices fall silent during witness accounts. A minor testifying? Understandable. But a broad-brush approach limits public access, and that’s a chink in the armor of transparency.”
Requests for further comments from the Administrative Office met with silence.
Courts Navigate Post-COVID Waters
The cessation of the national COVID-19 emergency by President Joe Biden has set federal and state courts on a mission to refurbish their pandemic-born protocols. An illustrative example can be witnessed in Georgia’s Northern District, which exchanged public and media access to video and teleconferences for an audio-only experience. On another note, by May 10, the federal courts drew curtains on the temporary authorization for virtual criminal proceedings.
