By Justin George | The Colorado Sun
Chief Justice Monica Márquez’s 90-day directive lets judges opt out of livestreaming by default, reversing a 2023 law amid rising social-media harassment and jury-tainting fears.
For the next three months, it will be up to Colorado judges to decide whether to livestream proceedings in their courtrooms. A directive by Colorado’s Supreme Court chief justice Tuesday said the pause on livestreaming by default is necessary to ensure the integrity and fairness of the judicial system.
The order is in direct contrast to a Colorado law passed in 2023 that requires all criminal proceedings to be livestreamed, and judges to make certain findings if they are to limit or discontinue the stream.
Virtual proceedings, like joining Webex for people involved in the case, will not be affected, the same for people who want to attend in person.
“The livestreaming technology that was intended to promote access to the courts has been subverted as a tool of disruption, disparagement, harassment, and private economic gain that is rapidly eroding the proper functioning of our system of justice,” Chief Justice Monica Márquez wrote in the four-page directive.
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