Ga. Unif. Mun. Ct. R. 11.1
Open courtrooms are an indispensable element of an effective and respected judicial system. It is the policy of Georgia's courts to promote access to and understanding of court proceedings not only by the participants in them but also by the general public and by news media who will report on the proceedings to the public. This must be done, however, while protecting the legal rights of the participants in the proceedings and ensuring appropriate security and decorum.
Except as otherwise required by law, this rule governs the use of devices to record sounds or images in a courtroom and comports with the standards provided in OCGA § 15-1-10.1 regarding the use of devices to record judicial proceedings.
This rule similarly governs the use of electronic devices, including mobile phones and computers, in a courtroom for purposes other than recording sounds and images. Such use is generally allowed by lawyers, by employees of lawyers, and by self-represented parties, but to ensure decorum and avoid distraction, such use is generally prohibited by witnesses, parties, and spectators, including representatives of the news media. Such persons may, however, use their devices by stepping outside the courtroom, and nothing in this rule prevents a judge from permitting parties and spectators to use their devices for non-recording purposes as the judge may allow in his or her discretion.
A court must use reasonable means to advise courtroom visitors of the provisions of this rule and must make the form in Exhibit A available in its clerk's office and on the court's website.
Ga. Unif. Mun. Ct. R. 11.1