News
Center co-sponsors social networks, technology and courts conference
06-24-2011
Judges, journalists and lawyers explore impact of social media, technology on the courts at June 23 program
The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media – in partnership with the Council for Court Excellence and the State Justice Institute - hosted “Social Networks, Computer Technology and the Courts,” June 15, in Washington, D.C. The program engaged judges, journalists, media lawyers and court technology experts in spirited debate about the influence on the courts of social media and increasing use of technology.
The program was moderated by Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University and former anchor and Washington bureau chief for CNN. Sesno led panelists through a hypothetical scenario which led them to consider ethical dilemmas and procedural consequences of issues surrounding jurors’ and other trial participants’ use of social networking services and electronic devices.
The program began a dialogue it plans to continue when the Center hosts its regional conference, “Modern Media and the Courts,” on Aug. 10 at the Liaison Hotel in Washington D.C. Registration is $199 for lawyers and free to judges, journalists and court public information officers; information is available at 775-327-8270.
The panel at the June 15 event consisted of a number of prominent judges and court officials, journalists and attorneys, including Judge Herbert Dixon, Jr. of the D.C. Superior Court; Magistrate Judge John Facciola of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; David Sellers of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; journalists Mike Semel and Scott Higham of The Washington Post, Adam Liptak of The New York Times, and Pierre Thomas of ABC News; media law attorneys Charles Tobin of Holland & Knight and Ashley Messenger of National Public Radio; and criminal attorneys Avis Buchanan of the D.C. Public Defender Service and Ronald Machen, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Both the June 15 panel and the Aug. 10 event examine use of electronic devices in courtrooms; legal issues involving monitoring jurors’ social media accounts; and the court’s role to protect jurors from overly intrusive inquiries in jurors’ private lives and other issues.
“Our August conference will examine one of the hottest and thorniest questions facing the bench today: the role of social media and the courts,” Ben Holden, director of the Center, said. “We’ve partnered with American University Washington College of Law, the National Judicial College and the Conference for Court Public Information Officers to deliver a program that asks challenging questions and seeks viable, real-world answers.”
