Media Protocol

Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the following orders apply to print and broadcast coverage of Sacramento County Juvenile Court (Delinquency and Dependency) matters, whether taking place in or outside of the courtroom.

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1. NOTICE AND REQUEST TO ATTEND COURT PROCEEDINGS (Without Cameras or Recording Devices)

1. When No Permission Is Required (Non-Confidential Proceedings): Delinquency proceedings described in Welfare and Institutions Code, section 676(a), are open to the public. (See Attachment A.) Print and broadcast media representatives may attend those proceedings without prior permission of the court, if seating is available in the courtroom. In order to obtain seating in the courtroom, a Request to Attend Juvenile Court Proceedings must be filed at the reception desk. (See Attachment B.) However, in the absence of a court order as described in Section II below, no cameras or recording equipment shall be permitted in the courtroom.
2. When Permission Is Required (Confidential Proceedings): In all other delinquency cases and for all dependency cases, permission to attend the court proceedings is in the discretion of the bench officer presiding over the matter. A written request seeking permission to attend confidential proceedings must be filed at the reception desk on a Request to Attend Juvenile Court Proceedings. (See Attachment B.)
3. Method of Filing Request to Attend Juvenile Court Proceedings: Either type of request may be filed in person, by mail or by fax. Requests to attend delinquency matters shall be filed at the first floor reception window at the Juvenile Courthouse, 9605 Kiefer Boulevard (Fax: 916-875-5168). Requests to attend dependency matters shall be filed at third floor reception window at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Court, 3341 Power Inn Road (Fax: 916-875-3480).
4. Timeliness of Filing Request to Attend Juvenile Court Proceedings: Absent extraordinary circumstances, either type of request must be filed with the reception desk by (a) 10:00 a.m.. the day of the hearing for cases that are calendared for the afternoon session; or (b) 4:00 p.m. the business day before the hearing for cases that are calendared for the morning session. The reception clerk shall immediately serve each of the parties with a copy of the request.

2. USE OF CAMERAS OR RECORDING EQUIPMENT

1. Dependency Proceedings: Pursuant to California Rule of Court, Rule 980(e)(6)(ii), the bench officer presiding over any dependency matter shall not have discretion to permit cameras or recording equipment in the courtroom.
2. Delinquency Proceedings Not Described in Welfare and Institutions Code section 676(a) (Confidential Proceedings): Pursuant to California Rule of Court, Rule 980(e)(6)(ii), the bench officer presiding over any delinquency matter not described in Welfare and Institutions Code, section 676(a), shall not have discretion to permit cameras or recording equipment in the courtroom.
3. Delinquency Proceedings Described in Welfare and Institutions Code section 676(a) (Non-Confidential Proceedings): Permission to use cameras or recording equipment while attending non-confidential delinquency court proceedings is in the discretion of the bench officer presiding over the matter. A Judicial Council Rule 980 form must be filed at the reception desk in order to seek the exercise of such discretion.

1. Method of Filing Rule 980 Request to Record Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings: A Rule 980 request may be filed in person, by mail or by fax at the first floor reception window at the Juvenile Courthouse, 9605 Kiefer Boulevard (Fax: 916-875-5168).
2. Timeliness of Filing Rule 980 Request to Record Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings: Absent extraordinary circumstances, a Rule 980 request must be filed with the reception desk by (a) 10:00 a.m. the day of the hearing for cases that are calendared for the afternoon session; or (b) 4:00 p.m. the business day before the hearing for cases that are calendared for the morning session. The reception clerk shall immediately serve each of the parties with a copy of the request.
3. Recorded View of Minor: When photography or video recording is permitted during a delinquency court proceeding, the camera view must be restricted to the shoulders of the minor and below. No view of the front or back of the head of the minor and/or his/her family shall be recorded.

3. IDENTIFICATION, CHECK-IN AND WAITING AREA

1. Identification: All members of the print and broadcast media must display visible identification at all times while inside the Juvenile Courthouse (delinquency) or on the third floor of the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse (dependency).
2. Check-In: Upon arrival at the first floor of the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center (delinquency) or the third floor of the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse (dependency), all members of the media shall inform the receptionist of their presence. The receptionist shall inform the appropriate courtroom personnel of the names of the media representatives present so that their attendance can be assured when the case is called.
3. Waiting Area: Cameras and other recording equipment must be taken immediately to the designated media waiting area upon arrival at the first floor of the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center (delinquency) or the third floor of the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse (dependency), as directed by court security. Such equipment may not be stored or displayed in the lobby area where minors are present.

4. APPROVED LOCATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS AND RECORDING

1. Inside: In addition to any recording permitted by an order by the court in the courtroom pursuant to Rule 980, interviews and video and/or sound recording are permitted without order of the court in the designated media waiting area of the Juvenile Courthouse and/or in the designated media waiting area on the third floor of the William Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse.
2. Outside: Without order of the court, interviews and video and/or sound recording may take place one hundred (100) or more feet from the front doors of the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center and/or on the William Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse.

5. PROHIBITED LOCATIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO RECORDING

1. Inside:

1. No photography or video recording shall take place in the hallways or lobby areas of the Juvenile Courthouse and/or on the third floor of the William Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse.
2. No photography or video recording shall take place in the courtrooms when court is not in session, before or after a case is formally called on-the-record.

2. Outside:

1. Without the express consent of the child/minor, there shall be no photography or video recording of the child/minor or his/her family on the sidewalks or parking lot adjacent to the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center and/or the William Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse.
2. No photography or video recording shall take place within one hundred (100) feet of the front door of the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center or of the front door of the William Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Photography or video recording beyond one hundred (100) feet of the front door of those buildings shall not include any view of the front door of the building or persons entering or leaving that door.
3. No photography or video recording shall take place of the rear of the B.T. Collins Juvenile Center building that displays the security and/or booking entrance to the Juvenile Hall.

6. POOLING

Due to the small size of the delinquency courtrooms and the limited seating available, in all cases where video recording of a delinquency case is permitted by court order for more than one broadcast media station, only a single camera shall be allowed in the courtroom. A condition of granting the order to record the courtroom session shall include a requirement that such stations arrange for a pooling and sharing of the recorded material.

7. PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO RECORDING OF MINORS IN JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS

Except upon an order issued by the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, no photograph or video recording of any portion of the body of a minor detained in, or committed to, the Youth Detention Facility (Juvenile Hall), the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center, the William Morgan Alternative Center, or the Commitment and Accountability Facility (Boys Ranch) is permitted.