§20142 Closed Circuit Televised Court Proceedings for Victims of Crime

Summary

Courts must set up closed-circuit TV so crime victims can watch a criminal trial when the trial is moved out of the State where the case started and is more than 350 miles from the original location. The court may let only victims who show a strong interest and who cannot go because of cost or distance view the feed. Only court and security staff, or people the judge names, may watch. The judge cannot name someone whose testimony would be changed by hearing other testimony. The court controls the signal. There must be no public broadcast, and any tapes belong to the court and stay sealed. Violations are punishable as contempt under section 402 of title 18. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts may accept donations to pay for this. "State" means any State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. possession or territory. The Judicial Conference may make rules under section 331 of title 28, and when it does, this rule stops applying. This only applies to cases filed after January 1, 1995.