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S 657 111th Congress Senate

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009

Official title: A bill to provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings.

Introduced: March 19, 2009 Introduced by: Grassley, Chuck Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
Law Broadcasting, cable, digital technologiesEvidence and witnessesJudicial procedure and administrationPhotography and imaging
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Sound recordingTelevision and film
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 29, 2010
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 361.
Apr 29, 2010
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
Apr 29, 2010
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Mar 19, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 19, 2009
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action April 29, 2010

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 361.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party.

Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request.

Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.

Requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines which a presiding judge must follow for obscuring certain vulnerable witnesses.

Prohibits broadcast of conferences between attorneys and clients.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 657: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-657/
MLA
"S. 657: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-657/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 657, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-657/.
Markdown link
[S. 657: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-657/)
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