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on cell phones to distract jurors and other courtroom participants .’” 50
VI . COMPROMISES
Some judges have identified the effectiveness of Twitter
as a communication tool and have therefore allowed its use . They see the need to balance the public ’ s desire to receive information with the court ’ s need for decorum . Jurists , therefore , have sought to strike a balance . Federal Judge Federico Moreno of the United States District Court of the Southern District of Florida prohibited reporters from posting live via Twitter while directly in the courtroom but did allow them to step into the hall to tweet and return . This approach serves as a middle ground for judges who advocate for more open courts but are also sensitive to the possible disruption of using electronic devices while in a courtroom . 51 Iowa Federal Judge Mark Bennet allowed a reporter to micro-blog about a tax fraud trial , so long as the reporter sat toward the back of the courtroom . Judge Bennet explained that sitting in the back of the courtroom would ensure that the reporter would cause minimal distraction while typing . 52 Other judges have allowed Twitter use , while imposing some basic restrictions on tweeting , including requiring that any cameras , audio recording , and sound creating functions on the reporters ’ devices be disabled . 53
50 Id . 51 Cervantes , supra , at 155 . 52 Id . at 156 . 53 Seitz , supra , at 41 .
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