Cellphones and other personal electronic devices may soon be banned at the Alamance County Courthouse.
The ban would come on the heels of a similar policy instituted last month at the Guilford County courthouses in Greensboro and High Point.
Jill Davis, trial court coordinator for Alamance County, said judges have been contemplating a ban for some time, though no official decision has been made or a timetable set.
“The main thing is people are bringing their cellphones in and disturbing court,” she said. “Every day the judge will say: ‘Turn off your cellphones,’ and a phone will still go off and the bailiffs will have to take the phone away.”
Chief District Court Judge Jim Roberson and Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Rob Johnson will hammer out the details of any ban, such as who will be exempted from it.
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In Guilford County, defense attorneys, paralegals, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, court personnel, those reporting for jury duty and others with special badges from the county are exempt from the ban.
The trial court administrator’s office has also issued about 300 temporary exemptions over the past month to attorneys from outside the area, people who have medical conditions, and those who have evidence stored on their cellphones, tablets and other electronic devices.
In crafting the ban, officials said that phones going off in the courtroom had become a nuisance.
Concerns also arose after someone was caught taking pictures of officers on the witness stand during a hearing for a drug case last year.
The Guilford policy went into effect Feb. 3.
Most visitors who arrive at the courthouse with a cellphone or other device just take it back to their vehicle. But the policy has been problematic for those who are dropped off or arrive by public transportation because the courthouse does not have a place to store them.
Guilford County is planning to buy about 80 small lockboxes for cellphone storage. County security director Jeff Fowler said last week they could be ready for use in April.
Rockingham and Randolph counties also have banned cellphones in their courthouses.