7th Judicial Circuit Court, Greene County, Illinois Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Microphones for counsel and judges must have power switches.

Microphones for use of counsel and judges shall be equipped with power switches.

CRITICAL

News media may not move about the courtroom while proceedings are in session or engage in movement that attracts undue attention.

News media shall not move about the courtroom while proceedings are in session, nor shall they engage in any movement attracting undue attention.

CRITICAL

Auxiliary lighting may not be used in the courtroom.

- (c) Lighting. No auxiliary lighting of any kind shall be used in the courtroom.

CRITICAL

News media may not film or photograph jurors or the jury panel inside or outside the courtroom.

The policy does not permit the news media to film or photograph any of you as jurors or the jury panel in the courtroom or outside the courtroom.

CRITICALCivil cases

Individuals seeking appointment as family mediators must apply in writing.

WHEREAS, individuals seeking court appointment as a family mediator shall apply in writing and have received training or shall possess such experience to be equivalent to such training as required by the Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit.

CRITICALCivil cases

An applicant denied inclusion on or removed from the list may appeal in writing to the Chief Judge or designee within ten days.

An applicant denied inclusion on or removed from the court-approved list may appeal the decision in writing within ten (10) days to the Chief Judge or his/her designee.

CRITICAL

Only one audio system, operated by designated personnel, is permitted.

- 4. Sound recording. No more than one audio system, with designated personnel to operate it, shall be permitted.

CRITICAL

All media equipment and personnel must be in place at least 15 minutes before the proceeding is scheduled to begin.

All media equipment and personnel shall be in place at least fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled time of commencement of the proceeding.

CRITICAL

Equipment, operators, and coverage must remain in areas designated by authorized court personnel, and designated areas must provide reasonable access to the proceeding.

(e) Location of equipment and personnel. Equipment and operating personnel shall be in, and coverage of the proceedings shall take place from, an area(s) within the courtroom designated by the judge, court media liaison, or other authorized court personnel. The area(s) designated shall provide reasonable access to the proceedings to be covered.

CRITICAL

Equipment may not be stored in the courthouse without permission.

Equipment shall not be stored in the courthouse without permission.

CRITICAL

Participants may not be able to detect a light or display indicating that equipment is operating.

Nor shall any light or other display be detectable to participants to indicate when any equipment is in operation.

CRITICAL

No more than two news media representatives may take photographs during a proceeding.

- 1. Photography. No more than two news media representatives may take photos during a court proceeding.

CRITICAL

Only one livestream of court proceedings, operated by designated personnel, is permitted.

- 5. Livestreaming. No more than one livestream of court proceedings, with designated personnel to operate it, shall be permitted.

CRITICAL

Changes to existing audio systems require the presiding judge’s approval.

Any changes in existing audio systems must be approved by the presiding judge.

CRITICAL

Microphones, wiring, and audio recording equipment must be of adequate technical quality to avoid interfering with courtroom amplification or electronic recording systems.

- (b) Audio equipment. Microphones, wiring, and audio recording equipment shall be of adequate technical quality to prevent interference with courtroom amplification systems or electronic recording systems.

CRITICAL

Media equipment used in the courtroom must operate quietly and without drawing attention or disrupting or distracting from proceedings.

- (a) Equipment specifications. All equipment used by media personnel in the courtroom during court proceedings must operate quietly and without drawing attention, so as not to disrupt or distract from the proceedings.

CRITICAL

No more than two news media representatives may perform video recording during a proceeding.

- 2. Audiovisual recording. No more than two news media representatives may perform video recording during a court proceeding.

CRITICAL

Equipment must be operated from a fixed position.

Equipment shall be operated from a fixed position.

WARNINGCivil cases

A removed attorney or representative may appeal in writing to the Chief Judge within ten days.

A removed guardian ad litem, child representative, or attorney for children may appeal the decision in writing within ten (10) days to the Chief Judge who shall decide the appeal after allowing the individual an opportunity to be heard.

WARNING

Microphones used by counsel and judges must have power switches.

Microphones for use of counsel and judges shall be equipped with power switches to facilitate compliance with subsections 1.2(e) and (f) of this policy.

WARNING

Still cameras and lenses must be unobtrusive and must not produce distracting light or sound.

Still cameras and lenses must be unobtrusive without distracting light or sound.

WARNING

Equipment used in courtrooms during judicial proceedings must be unobtrusive and must not produce distracting sound.

Equipment to be used in courtrooms during judicial proceedings must be unobtrusive and must not produce distracting sound.

WARNINGCivil cases

An attorney seeking appointment as a guardian ad litem must apply in writing to the designated judge.

Attorneys seeking appointment as a guardian ad litem in matters involving allocation of parental responsibilities shall apply in writing to the Presiding Judge of each county or, for Sangamon County, Chief of the Family Division.

WARNING

Media personnel may be required to demonstrate equipment compliance, and noncompliant equipment may be excluded from the courtroom.

Media personnel may be required to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Failure to do so may result in the exclusion of the equipment from the courtroom.

WARNING

Flashbulbs and other artificial light devices are prohibited; existing courtroom light sources may be modified with the judge’s approval and without public expense.

Other than light sources already existing in the courtroom, no flashbulbs or other artificial light device of any kind shall be employed in the courtroom. With the approval of the judge, however, modifications may be made in light sources existing in the courtroom (e.g., higher wattage light bulbs), provided modifications are installed and maintained without public expense.

WARNING

Equipment used for extended coverage may not use an operating indicator that is visible or audible to proceeding participants.

No light or signal visible or audible to participants in the proceeding shall be used on any equipment during extended coverage to indicate whether it is operating.

WARNING

A party's written objection should state the reasons for objecting.

Any party that objects to extended media coverage should file a written objection, stating the reasons, within 3 days of receiving notice of the request.

WARNING

Modifications to existing systems may not be made at public expense.

No modifications of existing systems shall be made at public expense.

WARNING

Media personnel must demonstrate to the judge, reasonably in advance of the proceeding, that their equipment meets the required criteria.

It shall be the duty of media personnel to demonstrate to the judge reasonably in advance of the proceeding that the equipment sought to be used meets the criteria set forth in this section.

WARNING

Television cameras and related courtroom equipment must be unobtrusive in size and appearance and must not produce distracting sound or light.

Television cameras, together with any related equipment to be located in the courtroom, must be unobtrusive in both size and appearance, without distracting sound or light.

WARNINGCivil cases

Requests for the list of certified family mediators must be made in writing.

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that a list of certified mediators approved to serve as a Family Mediator before courts of the Seventh Judicial Circuit shall be maintained by the Office of the Chief Judge and made available by request in writing.

WARNING

Media pooling is encouraged and required when equipment or personnel limits make it necessary; the media coordinator manages pooling, court personnel do not mediate disputes, and unresolved pooling disputes bar the requested coverage.

The media are encouraged to pool equipment and personnel. Where the limitations on equipment and personnel under these provisions make it necessary, the media shall be required to pool equipment and personnel. Pooling arrangements shall be the sole responsibility of the media coordinator. No judicial officer or court personnel shall mediate disputes. Priority consideration shall be extended to one of the two television cameras to televise an entire proceeding from beginning to end. In the absence of agreement or in the event of unresolved disputes relating to pooling arrangements, the kind of extended coverage sought shall be prohibited and excluded from the proceeding.

WARNING

An appeal of a denial or removal must be in writing.

An applicant denied inclusion on or removed from the court-approved list may appeal the decision in writing within ten (10) days to the Chief Judge or his/her designee.

WARNING

Whenever practicable, sound recording equipment and its operators should be located outside the courtroom.

Whenever practicable, sound recording equipment and its operating personnel should be located outside the courtroom.

WARNING

Microphones, wiring, and audio recording equipment must be unobtrusive and technically adequate to prevent interference with proceedings.

Microphones, wiring and audio recording equipment shall be unobtrusive and shall be of adequate technical quality to prevent interference with the covered judicial proceedings.

WARNING

Equipment without advance judicial approval may be barred from use in the proceeding.

Failure to obtain advance judicial approval for equipment may preclude its use in the proceeding.

INFO

Format

PDF

The approved forms may be completed by handwriting or typing into the PDF form.

The forms are ADA accessible, and you can handwrite or type into the PDF form.

INFO

Subject to the Illinois Supreme Court Policy on Electronic Devices, any number of media representatives may be designated to use portable electronic devices for notetaking or other activities during a proceeding.

- 6. Use of electronic devices for other activities. In accordance with the Illinois Supreme Court Policy on Electronic Devices, any number of media representatives may be designated to use portable electronic devices during a court proceeding for notetaking or other activities.

INFO

Any number of media representatives may be designated to perform online journalism during a proceeding.

- 3. Digital media. Any number of media representatives may be designated to perform online journalism (live-tweeting, blogging, posting case developments) during a court proceeding.

INFO

The judge, court media liaison, or other authorized court personnel may issue specific equipment setup and installation instructions and timeframes.

(f) Equipment setup and operation. The judge, court media liaison, or other authorized court personnel may issue specific instructions and timeframes regarding equipment setup and installation.

INFO

A witness's objection may be written or oral.

Witnesses may file a written objection or make an oral objection to extended media coverage prior to testifying and as soon as practicable.

INFOCivil cases

A request for the county-maintained list of approved attorneys must be made in writing.

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that a list of approved attorneys to appoint as a guardian ad litem before courts of the Seventh Judicial Circuit shall be maintained by individual counties and made available by request in writing.