(a) The broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing of civil proceedings and trials in the Superior Court by news media should be allowed, subject to the limitations set forth herein and in Section 1-10B.
Section 1-11B.Media Coverage of Civil Proceedings
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceSets the standards and procedures for broadcasting, recording, or photographing civil proceedings and trials in Connecticut Superior Court, including how parties can object and how the court balances coverage against privacy and safety concerns.
Full Text of Section 1-11B
(b) A judicial authority shall permit broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing of civil proceedings and trials in courtrooms of the Superior Court except as hereinafter precluded or limited. As used in this rule, the word ‘‘trial’’ in jury cases shall mean proceedings taking place after the jury has been sworn and in nonjury proceedings commencing with the swearing in of the first witness.
(c) Any party, attorney, witness or other interested person may object in advance of electronic coverage of a civil proceeding or trial if there exists a substantial reason to believe that such coverage will undermine the legal rights of a party or will significantly compromise the safety of a witness or other interested person or impact significant privacy concerns. To the extent practicable, notice that an objection to the electronic coverage has been filed, and the date, time and location of the hearing on such objection shall be posted on the Judicial Branch website. Any person, including the media, whose rights are at issue in considering whether to allow electronic coverage of the proceeding or trial, may participate in the hearing to determine whether to limit or preclude such coverage. When such objection is filed by any party, attorney, witness or other interested person, the burden of proving that electronic coverage of the civil proceeding or trial should be limited or precluded shall be on the person who filed the objection.
(d) The judicial authority, in deciding whether to limit or preclude electronic coverage of a civil proceeding or trial, shall consider all rights at issue and shall limit or preclude such coverage only if there exists a compelling reason to do so, there are no reasonable alternatives to such limitation or preclusion, and such limitation or preclusion is no broader than necessary to protect the compelling interest at issue.
(e) If the judicial authority has a substantial reason to believe that the electronic coverage of a civil proceeding or trial will undermine the legal rights of a party or will significantly compromise the safety or significant privacy concerns of a party, witness or other interested person, and no party, attorney, witness or other interested person has objected to such coverage, the judicial authority shall schedule a hearing to consider limiting or precluding such coverage. To the extent practicable, notice that the judicial authority is considering limiting or precluding electronic coverage of a civil proceeding or trial, and the date, time and location of the hearing thereon shall be given to the parties and others whose interests may be directly affected by a decision so that they may participate in the hearing and shall be posted on the Judicial Branch website.
(f) Objection raised during the course of a civil proceeding or trial to the photographing, video or audio recording of specific aspects of the proceeding or trial, or specific individuals or exhibits will be heard and decided by the judicial authority, based on the same standards as set out in subsection (d) of this section used to determine whether to limit or preclude coverage based on objections raised before the start of a civil proceeding or trial.
(g) The trial judge in his or her discretion, upon the judge’s own motion or at the request of a participant, may prohibit the broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing of any participant at the trial. The judge shall give great weight to requests where the protection of the identity of a person is desirable in the interests of justice, such as for the victims of crime, police informants, undercover agents, relocated witnesses, juveniles and individuals in comparable situations. ‘‘Participant’’ for the purpose of this section shall mean any party, lawyer or witness.
(h) The judicial authority shall articulate the reasons for its decision on whether or not to limit or preclude electronic coverage of a civil proceeding or trial and such decision shall be final.
(i) No broadcasting, televising, recording and photographic equipment shall be placed in or removed from the courtroom while the court is in session. Television film magazines or still camera film or lenses shall not be changed within the courtroom except during a recess or other appropriate time in the trial.
(j) Only still camera, television and audio equipment which does not produce distracting sound or light shall be employed to cover the trial. The operator of such equipment shall not employ any artificial lighting device to supplement the existing light in the courtroom without the approval of the trial judge and other appropriate authority.
(k) Except as provided by these rules, broadcasting, televising, recording and photographing in areas immediately adjacent to the courtroom during sessions of court or recesses between sessions shall be prohibited. ( l ) The conduct of all attorneys with respect to trial publicity shall be governed by Rule 3.6 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. (m) If there are multiple requests to broadcast, televise, record or photograph the same civil proceeding or trial, the media representatives making such requests must make pooling arrangements among themselves, unless otherwise determined by the judicial authority. The judicial authority shall not mediate any disputes among the media regarding pooling arrangements. (n) Unless good cause is shown, any media or pool representative seeking to broadcast, televise, record or photograph a civil proceeding or trial shall, at least three days prior to the commencement of the proceeding or trial, send an email request for media coverage to a person designated by the chief court administrator to receive such requests. The designee shall inform the administrative judge, presiding judge of civil matters, judicial authority who will hear the proceeding or who will preside over the trial, clerk, and the supervising marshal of the request, and the judicial authority shall allow such coverage except as otherwise provided in this section. (o) To evaluate and resolve prospective problems where broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing of a civil proceeding or trial will take place, and to ensure compliance with these rules during the proceeding or trial, the judicial authority who will hear the proceeding or preside over the trial may require the attendance of attorneys and media personnel at a pretrial conference. At such conference, the judicial authority shall set forth the conditions of coverage in accordance herewith.
Amendment History
(Adopted June 29, 2007, to take effect Jan. 1, 2008; amended June 10, 2022, to take effect Jan. 1, 2023.)
Rules Committee Commentary
Plain-English Summary
This section presumes that civil proceedings and trials should be open to broadcasting, televising, recording, and photographing, subject to the limits it sets and those in Section 1-10B. For jury cases, “trial” means proceedings after the jury is sworn; in nonjury cases, it means proceedings starting with the swearing in of the first witness.
Any party, attorney, witness, or other interested person can object in advance if there's a substantial reason to believe coverage would undermine a party's legal rights, compromise a witness's or other person's safety, or affect significant privacy interests. Notice of the objection and the hearing on it is posted on the Judicial Branch website where practicable, and anyone whose rights are at issue — including the media — can participate in that hearing. The person who objected carries the burden of proving that coverage should be limited or precluded. The judicial authority may limit or preclude coverage only for a compelling reason, only when no reasonable alternative exists, and only to the extent necessary to protect that interest. Even without an objection, the judicial authority can schedule its own hearing if it has substantial reason for similar concerns, with notice posted the same way. Objections raised mid-proceeding to coverage of specific individuals, exhibits, or aspects of the case are decided under the same standard. Whatever the outcome, the judicial authority must state its reasons, and the decision is final.
The trial judge can also prohibit coverage of a specific participant — defined as any party, lawyer, or witness — on the judge's own motion or a participant's request, giving great weight to requests protecting people like crime victims, informants, undercover agents, relocated witnesses, and juveniles.
Practical rules round out the section: no placing or removing equipment while court is in session, and no changing film or lenses except during a recess; only non-distracting still, television, and audio equipment, with no supplemental lighting absent the trial judge's approval; no coverage in areas adjacent to the courtroom during sessions or recesses; and attorney conduct regarding trial publicity remains governed by Rule 3.6 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Multiple media outlets covering the same proceeding must arrange pooling themselves — the court won't mediate. Absent good cause, a request for coverage must go by email to the chief court administrator's designee at least three days before the proceeding or trial starts, and the designee notifies the administrative judge, presiding judge of civil matters, the assigned judicial authority, the clerk, and the supervising marshal. The judicial authority can also require a pretrial conference with attorneys and media personnel to work out coverage conditions in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance must media request coverage of a Connecticut civil trial?
Absent good cause, at least three days before the proceeding or trial begins, by emailing a request to the person the chief court administrator designates.
Who decides if media coverage of a civil trial should be limited?
The judicial authority hearing the case, after considering any objections, and it may limit or preclude coverage only for a compelling reason with no reasonable alternative.
Can a witness object to being filmed in a civil trial?
Yes. Any party, attorney, witness, or other interested person may object in advance if coverage would undermine legal rights, compromise safety, or raise significant privacy concerns, though that person bears the burden of proving the objection.
Can multiple news outlets each bring their own camera to a civil trial?
No. When there are multiple requests to cover the same proceeding, the media representatives must work out pooling arrangements among themselves; the judicial authority won’t mediate those disputes.
Can equipment be moved in and out of the courtroom during a civil trial?
No. Equipment can’t be placed in or removed from the courtroom while court is in session, and film or lenses can only be changed during a recess or other appropriate break.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 1-11B). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: media coverage of civil trial Connecticutcameras in CT civil courtobjecting to trial coveragepretrial conference media coverage civilrequesting press coverage civil proceeding
TECHNICAL CHANGE: A technical change was made in subsection (f) to update the terminology to align with current technology and practice.