Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create controlled media access to federal court proceedings by letting presiding judges permit photography, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising under safeguards for due process, witness privacy, and safety.
Show full summary
- Media access and limits. Presiding judges could allow cameras and broadcasts in trials and appeals under judge-set rules and disciplinary measures. District court authority to permit coverage would expire three years after enactment.
- Protections for witnesses and victims. Courts must tell nonparty witnesses they can ask to have their face and voice obscured. The Judicial Conference must issue mandatory guidelines within six months for obscuring vulnerable witnesses such as crime victims, minors, victim families, cooperating witnesses, undercover officers, and witnesses with federal relocation protection.
- Court procedure and limits. The bill bans media coverage of jurors and audio of private attorney-client talks. It bars interlocutory appeals of a presiding judge’s decision on media coverage and preserves judges’ authority to protect safety, decorum, and the integrity of proceedings.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Appellate judges could allow broadcasts
If enacted, the presiding judge of a federal appellate court could allow cameras, recordings, or broadcasts in proceedings they handle. If a single judge hears the case, that judge must block coverage that would violate a party's due process rights. If multiple judges hear the case, a majority must agree to block coverage. This would increase public access to appellate hearings but could raise privacy or fairness concerns for people in the case.
District judges could allow cameras
If enacted, a district court judge could allow cameras, recordings, or broadcasts in proceedings they oversee. A judge must block coverage that would violate a party's due process rights. Coverage would not be allowed until the Judicial Conference issues mandatory guidelines. The authority for district courts to allow media coverage would end three years after enactment. Parties could not file immediate appeals of a judge's media decision. Courts could require private groups to pay for media accommodations. The bill would preserve judges' inherent power to protect safety and decorum.
Privacy rules for witnesses and jurors
If enacted, nonparty witnesses in federal trials could ask to have their face and voice obscured on broadcasts. Courts would have to tell nonparty witnesses about this right before testimony. Within six months, the Judicial Conference would have to issue mandatory rules to protect vulnerable witnesses, like crime victims, minors, cooperating witnesses, and undercover officers. Judges could require written media rules and hide faces or voices when good cause exists. The bill would bar photographing or broadcasting jurors and would ban audio of off-the-record lawyer conferences.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
IA • R
Cosponsors
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 3/26/2025
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/26/2025
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 3/26/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/26/2025
Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 3/26/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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