Cell phones banned from Clinton County Court facilities

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Visitors to the Clinton County Courthouse, the county’s Garden Building and the county’s three district court offices may no longer bring cellphones into those facilities. A court order to that effect was signed by President Judge Craig P. Miller on Monday and the new edict went into effect on Tuesday.

The county has made provision for those who bring phones to the courthouse and Garden Building with phone-sized lockers at the entrances to both buildings. And there are multiple exceptions to the new dictate. The court order says the action is taken for reasons of “safety, security and confidentiality purposes.”

The order establishes the court’s “Electronic Device Policy” and covers “any device (both currently available and future technology) that is capable of wireless communication and/or the capture, transmittal, storage, and /or retrieval o digitized date, images, and/or sound.” Devices listed in the order are cellphones, camera, tablets, notebook/laptop computers, palm pilots, pocket PCs, blackberries and pagers.

There are a number of exempt categories for courthouse users, including county employees, law enforcement officers, attorneys, those conducting court-related business and those summoned for jury duty. Court officials will also have the discretion to grant exemptions. And exceptions will be granted for proceedings from wedding ceremonies to oath-taking and other ceremonial proceedings.