United States · Bill · S
S. 657 (111th)
Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009
Introduced
19 March 2009
Last action
29 April 2010 · Reported
Status
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 361.
Sponsors
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA], Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY], Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT], Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA], Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC], Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI], Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX], Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Kaufman, Edward E. [D-DE]
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
10 August 2026
Summary
Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act. Requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines which a presiding judge must follow for obscuring certain vulnerable witnesses. Prohibits broadcast of conferences between attorneys and clients.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
19 March 2009
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Source: IntroReferral
19 March 2009
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
29 April 2010
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 361.
Source: Calendars
29 April 2010
Reported
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Source: Committee
29 April 2010
Reported
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Reported to Senate · 29 April 2010 · Download file
- Introduced in Senate · 19 March 2009 · Download file
Documents
6 official files
Reported to Senate (text)
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Leesvertaling
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Reported to Senate (text)
Reported to Senate · EN · 29 April 2010
Reported to Senate (PDF)
Reported to Senate · EN · 29 April 2010
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
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Reported to Senate without amendment
summary · EN · 29 April 2010
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Introduced in Senate (text)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 March 2009
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
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Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in Senate (PDF)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 March 2009
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
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Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 19 March 2009
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Kaufman, Edward E. [D-DE] · D · Cosponsor
- · ssju00 · Standing
Related records
- related to → Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/657
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/111/s/657
- us · 111-s-657 · source updated 10 August 2026