Florida courts are committed to openness and transparency and have long been pioneers in improving public access to court information. In the mid-1970s, Florida became the first state to allow cameras in its courtrooms after a decades-long ban that began in the 1930s. The federal and state governments determine public access to government records such as court records. At the federal level, the Freedom of Information Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, generally protects the right of any person to request access to federal agency records or information. There are some special law enforcement exceptions and exclusions, such as national security information or trade secrets. Florida courts were also the first to develop a presence on the World Wide Web, with the Florida Supreme Court launching an official website beginning in 1994. The Florida Supreme Court also began broadcasting all of its arguments live from hammer to hammer in 1997. In other words, although the public has the right to participate in negotiations, it does not have the right to see them on television. However, many state courts routinely allow television cameras to record and broadcast the trial, although the trial judge has broad discretion to set rules for the recordings to ensure they do not interfere with the defendant`s right to a fair trial or interfere with the trial. If a proceeding passes these criteria, there is a right of public access under the First Amendment. However, this right is not absolute.
It is simply a presumption of access. The presumption may be rebutted by showing that the closure of the proceedings preserves an overriding interest and that the conclusion is closely tailored to that interest. Many antennas use the Zoom-to-YouTube feature for live streaming. Recent advancements in live automated captioning, now available on both platforms, provide better access for people with disabilities. The Virtual Court Directory will provide closed captions for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing as part of the technology currently available for live streaming. Reasonable precautions are in place to ensure effective communication where required by law. A person who wishes to observe a court during a session can consult the schedule of hearings online or at the courthouse and follow a trial. Our constitution and judicial tradition give citizens the right to access judicial proceedings.
Citizens gain trust in the courts by seeing judicial work in action and experiencing first-hand how the justice system works. In general, you can participate in civil proceedings because the public has a right of access to civil proceedings. See NBC Subsidiary, Inc. v. Superior Court, 20 Cal. 4th 1178 (1999) (enter the citation for an opinion). Their access to juvenile trials in California is strictly limited. You will not be admitted to a juvenile court hearing unless the minor and his/her parents/guardians request that the hearing be public, or the minor is charged with a crime on a list of serious crimes such as murder, arson or rape.
Kal. Welf. and Inst. Code 676a. The shift to more virtual trials is a major historic shift in state court processes, which have relied heavily on face-to-face hearings in Florida`s 175 years as a state. When the pandemic began, Chief Justice Canady issued administrative orders that expanded the power of judicial officers to conduct proceedings remotely and from locations other than traditional courtrooms. The Florida Supreme Court created its Virtual Courtroom Directory (courtrooms.flcourts.org) to expand public access to court proceedings. The courtroom virtual directory provides an easy way to find virtual hearings and live streams of trials and arguments across the state. Court records and some records are available on the Internet through the Public Access System for Electronic Court Records (PACER) in www.pacer.gov. In addition, almost all federal courts maintain a website with information on court rules and procedures.
Court records fall under the lid of information that is generally available to the public. However, some records and information cannot be disclosed because they are considered confidential by law or in court. Examples of confidential court records include: The right of access to jury elections and pre-trial conferences quickly followed – in Press-Enterprise Co. v. California Superior Court (1984) and Press-Enterprise Co. v. California Superior Court (1986) – and the Court reaffirmed the right to participate in preliminary hearings in El Vocero de Puerto Rico v. Puerto Rico (1993). «Florida courts continue to face the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,» Chief Justice Charles Canady said. «The courtroom virtual directory provides secure access to proceedings nationwide. People everywhere sit in the front row of our courts, and they can see that justice continues even under difficult circumstances. Judges may, under certain conditions, decide to terminate civil proceedings.