Originally Posted by
Eye of Storm
Originally Posted by
PTravel
You are allowed to bring your cellphone into every courtroom I've ever been in. However, it has to be turned off.
It apparently does vary. In another Virginia courthouse, we first started into the main building to look at records, where the guard told both my wife and the person ahead of her in line that they couldn't take in a cell phone, even if it was turned off.
In my local county courthouse (county of Champaign, Illinois), *all* electronics are banned, not just cell phones. The specific rule is this: "All electronic devices including, but not limited to cellular telephones, walkie-talkies, portable radios, iPods, MP3 players, portable computers (including tablet computers and laptops) and other telecommunication devices capable of internet connectivity and/or audio or video recordation are prohibited."
...but I'm not a lawyer.
It's not unusual to have different rules apply for lawyers than for members of the general public.
Nowadays, most lawyers use computers in the courtroom. They are used to keep case files, track physical evidence and exhibits, take notes and perform legal research. Most courtrooms of the Los Angeles Superior Court have free access to fast (12 Mbps +) WiFi.
The same goes for cell phone use; those are essential for witness coordination and resolving scheduling conflicts when attorneys have cases pending in more than one courthouse.