The Arizona Supreme Court has backed down from an order banning photography and videos outside the courthouse.
Instead, Chief Justice Robert Brutinel replaced the order with another, specifically banning activity threatening a person, disrupting court operations, or compromising security in and around the court.
Valley media and constitutional law experts challenged the original order’s restrictions on photography from public sidewalks outside the courthouse, an area news crews often broadcast live from while covering high profile cases.
"We went back to the drawing board and we modified that order,” said Brutinel, and continued, “frankly, we asked people in the community and the media to take a look at it and make sure that we addressed their concerns. And, I think we’ve done that."
Brutinel told Capitol Media Services the original intent was to protect individuals who did not want to be filmed or identified, particularly victims and jurors.
