Reporters Out of Luck in Connecticut Courtroom

By Richard Esposito

A Connecticut judge has banned reporters from taking notes in her courtroom.

"You can’t take notes here," Judge Wendy Susco said Tuesday, according to a letter to the court from the Hartford Courant newspaper.  The letter was requesting an explanation of the superior court judge’s actions.

According to the letter sent Wednesday by the deputy managing editor of the newspaper:

"(Reporter) Gregory Seay then identified himself as from The Hartford Courant and began to ask Judge Susco what authority or statute she was citing to bar the taking of notes.  Before he could finish, however, Judge Susco said, ‘I don’t allow note-taking in my courtroom.’"