Court Filing
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF MONROE COUNTY FORTY-THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: NO. 682 MD 2022 : V.: : BRYAN KOHBERGER,: Defendant: DECORUM ORDER AND NOW, this 2nd day of January, 2023, after consultation with the District Court Administrator, the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB), Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA), and the Monroe County Sheriff, the following Order is entered. The terms of this Order apply to the conduct of all scheduled court proceedings held in the Monroe County Courthouse. The provisions noted as " Mandatory " shall be applied by the Court and enforced accordingly by its officers and agents. The provisions noted as " Informational " are intended to provide meaningful structure and guidelines to those reporters and members of the general public who will be attending any of the court proceedings. MANDATORY 1. All reporters and members of the general public must enter the Courthouse via the Monroe Street entrance. Access via other Courthouse entrances will not be permitted except for American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations. ADA accessible access is through the Sarah Street entrance. All reporters and members of the general public must submit to security screening both at the Monroe Street (or Sarah Street) entrance and the entrance to the courtroom, as required by the Sheriff. 2. Reporters and members of the general public will be admitted to the courtroom between 15 and 45 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. 3. No one will be admitted to the courtroom less than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, except as authorized by the Sheriff. All reporters and members of the public must be seated before the proceeding begins. 4. The following applies to all persons attending a court proceeding: a. Reporters will be permitted to use laptops, electronic tablets, or similar devices in the courtroom for the sole purpose of notetaking. Transmission from or recording by laptops, electronic tablets, or any electronic device in the courtroom is prohibited. b. Members of the general public and the Media are permitted to carry cell phones in the courthouse but all such devices must be turned OFF before entering any courtroom, except as permitted in Subparagraph 4 (f). c. Except as permitted in Subparagraph 4 (f), any use of Internet or telephone service for transmission, video and / or sound recording, or any other electronic duplication via cell phone or similar device is prohibited in the Courthouse. d. Except as permitted in Administrative Order 1 AD 2023, Re: Electronic Device and Advanced Communication Technology (ACT) Use in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts and Subparagraph 4 (f), no photography, videography or recording device of any type may be used anywhere in the Courthouse. e. Except as specifically approved by the Court, no news media interviews whatsoever shall be conducted anywhere in the Courthouse (including corridors, hallways, elevators, interior / exterior steps, and walkways to the Monroe Street and Sarah Street entrances of the Courthouse). f. Reporters may use Courtroom 7 to prepare and file stories before and after the Court Hearing. All reporters are reminded that they shall not electronically transmit stories, pictures, or video anywhere in the Courthouse except as provided in this Subparagraph. g. No filming or photography will be permitted on Courthouse property or along any of the sidewalks immediately surrounding and adjacent to the Courthouse except as provided for in paragraph 4 (f) herein and in Administrative Order 1 AD 2023, Re: Electronic Device and Advanced Communication Technology (ACT) Use in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. 5. The Sheriff of Monroe County, in consultation with the Court, shall have authority to make such reasonable rules and regulations as may be required to provide adequate security intended to assure the safety of all those in the Courthouse and on the Courthouse grounds as well as the orderly conduct of any court proceeding. These regulations may include, but are not limited to, the following: a. Limiting the number of media personnel in the staging areas to ensure that facilities are not overtaxed. b. No person will be permitted to bring backpacks, large purses, or satchels of any kind into the courtroom, except as authorized by the Sheriff. c. No person will be permitted to bring food or beverages into the courtroom. d. No person, except those authorized by the Court, will be permitted beyond the bar of the courtroom. 6. Any person who violates the provisions of this Order is subject to penalties for contempt of court (including fines or summary incarceration) under any applicable statute, order, or rule of court. In addition, any reporter, and the news organization the reporter represents, will be summarily prohibited from attendance for the balance of the proceeding, and, in the discretion of the Court, may be prohibited from attending any subsequent proceedings in the case. INFORMATIONAL 7. Upon entering the Courthouse and the courtroom, reporters must present credentials from their media outlet, which must include a photo. Those who do not have media credentials with a photo must present their media credential together with another valid photo identification. 8. Orders of the Court will be published on the website of the Court of Common Pleas, 43rd Judicial District (www.monroepacourts.us) and on www.pacourts.us and the Pennsylvania Courts ' social media pages: Twitter: @PACourts and Facebook: @Pennsylvaniacourts. 9. Limited parking is available near the Courthouse. Reporters and members of the public who will be attending a court hearing should allow ample time to find parking and make their way to the Courthouse. Please note that courthouse construction is ongoing and there may be limited parking together with road closures. 10. Reporters are reminded that Pennsylvania law prohibits parking within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant, within twenty (20) feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, and otherwise parking in a manner that prevents vehicles from traveling on streets. Damage caused to county and / or borough property will be reported immediately to law enforcement and a police report will be filed. 11. The courthouse will open at 8:30 am and the hearing is currently scheduled for 3:30 pm in Courtroom 1. 12. There are limited public restrooms in the Courthouse. Inquiries regarding court processes and procedures may be directed to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Stacey Witalec, Director of Communications / Spokesperson at 717-877-2997 or Stacey.Witalec@pacourts.us. BY THE COURT: ' MARGHERITA PATTI-WORTHINGTON, P.J. Clerk of Courts JAN 2'23 PM2: 09