Fives Solict Comments On Proposed Change to Rule Concerning Recordings of Oral Arguments

The court has proposed an amendment to 5th Cir. R. 34.7, which currently prohibits the use of audio or video recording equipment during oral argument. The one exception is if a party hires a court reporter to transcribe the argument. In that case, the reporter may record the argument and use it to prepare the transcript, but must then destroy the recording and may not provide it to anyone. The proposed amendment eliminates the destruction requirement, and modifies the disclosure restriction to provide that the reporter "may not make any recordings of the oral argument available to counsel, a party, or any other person until the court posts its recording of the oral argument on the court’s Internet website."

Comments on the proposed amendment are due by July 16, 2008. Instructions for submitting comments, which may be done by regular mail or electronically, are provided in the court's notice.