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Media

Media agencies or personnel desiring media access to court events must familiarize themselves with Uniform Trial Court Rule 3.180 and Umatilla/Morrow County Supplemental Local Rule 3.181 and rules regarding decorum in court proceedings.

Requests for permission to make audio, video, still photographic, or other electronic recording of a judicial proceeding must be made to the 6th Judicial District Trial Court Administrator a reasonable time in advance of the start of the proceeding.

  • Jurors, including jury selection (voir dire) – do not even give the appearance of photographing jurors.
  • Proceedings in judge chambers
  • Private Conversations – Sidebar between judge and counsel, notes or conversations involving counsel and their clients, or other conversations intended to be private
  • Court recesses
  • Coverage of the following case types: Dissolution (Divorce), Juvenile, Paternity, Adoption, Custody, Visitation, Support, Mental commitment, Trade secrets, Abuse, Restraining and stalking order proceedings, or Sex offense proceedings if a victim requests no coverage

A judge may prohibit or terminate public access coverage for good cause (see UTCR 3.180).

Only one television camera and/or one still camera each with a single camera operator will be permitted in the courtroom. Cameras and operators must be in designated locations. No interviews may be conducted in the courtrooms. Public access areas outside the courtrooms are:

  • Pendleton, Umatilla County Courthouse: The landing at the stairs on the 2nd Floor.
  • Hermiston, Stafford Hansell Government Center: The waiting area just outside the front entrance.
  • Heppner, Morrow County Courthouse: The landing at the top of the stairs on the 2nd Floor.

Judge/Staff to determine equipment placement

Each courtroom and judge is different; ask for assistance/permission in determining equipment and operator placement prior to the day of the proceeding.

Equipment and operators must be in place before court starts

Equipment must not be installed, moved or removed from the courtroom while court is in session. Equipment operators may not move around the courtroom while court is in session.

No artificial lighting device of any kind may be used in the courtroom

News media must arrange any pooling of footage, photographs or audio among themselves

The court will not participate in any pooling agreement or mediate in the event of disagreements about pooling arrangements. Disagreements about pooling arrangements will not result in additional media equipment being allowed into the courtroom. In the absence of agreement on pooling issues by persons seeking public access coverage, the judge may exclude any or all public access coverage.

Any violation of Oregon Uniform Trial Court Rule 3.180 or other court rules may result in sanctions including but not limited to the termination of media coverage privileges and contempt of court.