DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Court officials say they are fine-tuning their policies for cell phones as courtroom interruptions become increasingly common.
A panel of the Conference Court Public Information Officers will study the issue when it meets this spring.
Iowa judges say cell phones can be disruptive and distract from important legal matters. In some cases, judges have sanctioned people who have ignored earlier warnings.
Clinton County Judge David Sivright says his experience has been that most people comply with warnings to turn off their phones when they are in court.
Cell phone policies vary and Greg Hurley, a spokesman for the National Center for Courts, says he is not aware of any all-encompassing analysis of courtroom cell phone policies.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA