Rule 3 Use of Cameras, Recording, and Broadcasting Equipment

If you're a lawyer handling a case, or if you're representing yourself in court without a lawyer, you have the right to record justice court proceedings. You can use audio or video recording equipment, or you can have a court reporter type up the proceedings using shorthand. This right comes from a specific state law, section 9-13-32 of the Mississippi Code.

If you're not a party to the case or an attorney involved in it, different rules apply. Members of the public, media, or anyone else who wants to bring cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom must follow separate guidelines set out in the Mississippi Code of Judicial Conduct. The judge has authority to decide what's allowed based on those broader rules.

In short, people directly involved in the case have a built-in right to record what happens in court. Everyone else needs to check the judicial conduct rules or ask the judge for permission before bringing in cameras or recording devices.