Can you take your cell phone into court? Maybe. Maybe not. In Wilson County, Tennessee? Definitely not. Upon approach, you will see multiple signs announcing cell phones or other recording devices are banned from the building.
Suspecting a good story behind the heavily advertised ban, we inquired about it with the clerk’s office. Apparently, in at least one instance, spectators in the courtroom texted witnesses waiting outside what the witness on the stand said. On top of that, judges did not like spectators taking pictures of the proceedings or of the judge personally. I imagined a witness snapping a quick selfie with the judge in the background and Aunt Susan snapping a picture of cousin Jack’s latest arraignment to share instantly with Mama and ’em or possibly on social media.
A judge may make rules for her or his court. Failure to follow those rules could result in contempt of court which could carry a fine or jail time. See our article on pajamas in the courtroom or other cell phone-related contempt of court rules for Circuit Court in Davidson County, Nashville, Tennessee. To be safe, always check Local Rules of Court for your court to ensure you follow the rules perfectly. A quick internet search on your phone could help you keep that phone.
According to this article, a violator is subject to a 10-day jail sentence and/or forfeiture of their cell phone. As a cell phone is also a status symbol, some of them are fairly expensive (some iPhones retail in excess of $1,000+) but could be locked in a courthouse vault.
The moral of this story is simply don’t bring your cell phone or recording device into the Wilson County Justice Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. The justice there is swift, the folks there are friendly, but they take the cell phone ban seriously… and so should you.