July 5, 2004
Security at courthouses focuses on camera phones
Cameras aren't allowed in courtrooms in Maryland. So, in an age of heightened security and terrorism alerts, when officers are busy screening courthouse visitors for guns, knives and other potential weapons, they're adding camera phones to their list of items to watch out for, reports the The Baltimore Sun.
Procedures for dealing with camera phones vary from courthouse to courthouse.
-- In Towson and Baltimore, the phones are held in locked drawers until their owners reclaim them.
-- In Howard County, the phones must be taken outside the building.
-- In Anne Arundel County, they're allowed in courtrooms, but are confiscated if deputies catch people using them - either to talk or take pictures.
-- In Baltimore City, visitors are given the option of leaving their camera phones at the guard's desk or returning them to their cars.
Peggy Smith, security supervisor for the Baltimore County courts building, said she is seeing an increasing number of camera phones at the courthouse. From June 21 to 27, she said, deputies held 181 camera phones.
Related articles on camera phones in court:
-- Camera phones banned in Australia's courtrooms
-- A year in jail for using a cameraphone in court
-- Cell phone cameras getting day in court--or not
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