Mobile County Courthouse cracking no-cellphone policy

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Mobile County is heading to its second week of fall trials, and officials are reinforcing the rules against cell phones in the courtroom.

“The general public can no longer bring cell phones into the courthouse,” Presiding Judge Wesley Pipes said. “And we’ve also made it very specific that you could take no pictures and a video within the courthouse or in the halls.”

Judge Pipes initially enforced this rule in May, but there have been incidents where cellphones and other recording devices have been used to intimidate witnesses on the stand.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood echoed his sentiment.

“There had been some issues in cases where people in the courtroom would either take photographs of witnesses or they would film in some cases,” Blackwood said. “We’ve been told that people were live streaming from inside the courtroom. And we believe that that was an effort to intimidate witnesses.”

“We certainly want anyone who comes down here to be a witness, to testify, to do to do their civic duty,” Judge Pipes said. “And we want them to be comfortable doing the right thing.”

With witnesses feeling intimidated, Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said without them coming forward, it can make their cases harder to prosecute.

“It’s absolutely vital that we have witnesses come testify,” Blackwood said. “That is, in many cases, some of the most important evidence that we present to juries day in and day out of this courthouse. So, anything that makes it easier for a witness to come do a very difficult thing is very helpful for us.”

Cellphones or any kind of device that can be used to record court proceedings in Alabama is illegal, and those caught could face legal repercussions.

“It could be as simple as you’re just removed from the courthouse and you can’t come back,” Pipes said. “Or you could be held in contempt and you could be charged with a crime.”

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