By Maria Polletta | Arizona Republic
A new Arizona Supreme Court order sharply limits video recording and photography in areas long considered to be public, including sidewalks and parking lots near the courthouse.
Related: Court’s order regarding photos is unconstitutional, lawyer says
The restrictions were designed to protect victims, officers and others from activists looking to stir up drama and post it online, according to the court’s chief justice.
But legal experts fear the order will impede media — and therefore, public — access to newsworthy cases and other matters of public concern.
The rules outlined in the Oct. 16 order apply to the state’s Phoenix and Tucson appellate court buildings, where the Arizona Supreme Court, divisions one and two of the Court of Appeals, and the citizen-advisory boards that help decide the fates of children in foster care convene.
The restrictions:
