Kansas Federal Judge Allows Twittering Media in Courtroom
Feb 24th, 2009 | By Rex Gradeless | Category: Featured, Social Media, Twitter
Another judge says Twitter can be used by reporters in the courtroom.
This time, a Federal judge in Kansas has allowed the use of Twitter in the courtroom. This is consistent with when a Colorado judge approved the use of Twitter, and blogs, inside the courtroom to cover an infant-abuse trial. This time a judge is allowing a capital murder trial to be chronicled via Twitter.
U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten granted a reporter’s request to send Twitter posts from the courtroom during trial because jurors are instructed to avoid media reports about the case. This presumably includes Twitter reports.
This story was found on MSNBC. A follow-up story from the ABA Journal here. The original story is copied below.
Federal judge OKs Kan. media request for Twitter
By KSNW News
KSNW-TVupdated 9:49 a.m. CT, Tues., Feb. 24, 2009WICHITA, Kansas (AP) – A federal judge grants a reporter’s request to send Twitter posts from the courtroom during a trial.
U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten ruled Monday that the posts would not prejudice jurors since they’re told to avoid newspaper, broadcast and online reports about the case.
Wichita Eagle reporter Ron Sylvester requested to use Twitter while covering the trial of a group of men accused of racketeering through the Crips street gang.
Twitter posts from journalists are becoming common in state courts. But federal courts are usually more restrictive. Federal courts, for example, still don’t allow cameras.
People use Twitter to update others on what they’re doing or observing. The postings are limited to 140 characters and can be sent from a mobile phone or computer.
Here’s a message I received on Twitter shortly after making this post:
@Rex7 I tweeted while in Jury Duty breaks back in 2007, but was scared of the judge finding out http://hex.io/a65 we found the guy guilty
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Ron Sylvester, the “multimedia reporter” covering this federal gang racketeering trial has my dream job. He’s also raised the bar for courtroom journalists. Now I want them all to tweet from the courtroom. “I Want to Be Ron Sylvester” at http://practicalparalegalism.blogspot.com/2009/02/twitterbox-update-i-want-to-be-ron.html. Upon hearing the judge’s ruling, Ron himself tweeted, “Twitter is on!”
[Reply]
admin
Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
They will all be using Twitter very soon. Fad or not? Unknown.
[Reply]
[...] was also a Kansas federal judge who allowed a court reporter to use Twitter inside the courtroom. Now we have two different rulings on whether the Federal Rules preclude Twitter inside the [...]