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Court Security

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Local Rule Number: 
Rule 5072-2
5000 Series

(A)       Prohibited Materials.  No weapons (guns, knives or any other item which may be used as a weapon) or electronic devices as set forth in subdivision (C), shall be permitted in the courtroom, chambers and/or other environs of this court.  No items may be left unattended in the court environs.  Neither the United States  Marshals Service nor the court shall be required to provide storage areas for visitors possessing prohibited items.  Visitors to court environs housed in federal buildings shall be required to comply with, and are subject to prosecution for violation of, any existing law, order or other regulation in effect in the respective federal building.

(B)       Smoking.  Electronic Cigarettes.  Smoking, including use of electronic cigarettes is prohibited in all environs of the court. Electronic cigarettes may not be brought into courthouses of the Southern District, except by those permitted to bring electronic devices into courthouses under subdivision (C)(2) of this rule.  This exception is subject to any additional prohibitions or permissions on this matter enacted by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida in buildings shared by both the district and bankruptcy courts.

(C)       Electronic Devices.

(1)        General Prohibition.  Electronic devices including but not limited to cameras of any type (including cellular phones which have an integrated camera device), cellular phones, pagers, personal data assistants (PDA), iPads or tablets, laptop computers, tape recorders, etc., are prohibited from being brought into any federal courthouse facility within the Southern District of Florida, including the West Palm Beach Bankruptcy Court facility.

(2)        Exceptions.  Notwithstanding subdivision (A) above:

(a)        The restrictions against cellular phones (including phones with integrated camera devices), pagers, personal data assistants (PDA), iPads or tablets, laptop computers, tape recorders, etc., do not apply to individuals having official business within the court environs and possessing valid identification identifying them as belonging to the following categories: federal courthouse employees with valid permanent government employee identification; any attorney of the U.S. Trustee’s Office with a valid identification card issued from that office; any attorney permitted to practice law within the Southern District of Florida with a valid Florida Bar identification card or pro hac vice order that has business within the facility, any special agent of the United States government or other law enforcement officer authorized to enforce the law within the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Trustees’ Office staff and non-attorney bankruptcy trustees who have been authorized by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, to enter a federal courthouse facility with electronic devices, and court authorized court reporters. Absent permission of the presiding judge, recording and communications devices must remain off while court is in session.

(b)       A judge or other designated authority may, by signed request forwarded to the U.S. Marshal for verification, allow a specific person access to the courthouse with a specific electronic device for a specific purpose and period of time.

(c)        In the event a jury panel is seated in a case or proceeding before this court, the exception set forth in paragraph I(F) of Administrative Order 2006-16 of the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida with respect to cellular phones and jurors (or any subsequently entered administrative order or local rule) shall apply.

[Comment: See also Administrative Order 2011-108 States District Court, Southern District of Florida, regarding book readers.]

(D)       Penalty for Violations.  The penalty provisions set forth in Administrative Order 2006-16 of the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida (and any subsequently issued administrative order or local rule), shall apply in this court for violations of this rule.

[Comment: See also Administrative Order 2009-12 States District Court, Southern District of Florida, relating to news reporters.]