Federal lawsuit aims to make recordings of Oakland County court proceedings public
A federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan aims to make the audio and video recordings of Oakland County court proceedings available to the public and the parties or attorneys in a given case, a move that could maximize public engagement with the courts.
The lawsuit, Hallman v. Reeds, was filed in April in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Aside from increased public engagement, a win for the plaintiffs could also serve as a way to hold judges accountable when they are accused of courtroom errors or misconduct. That last aspect could be beneficial to voters when it comes time to select local and statewide judicial candidates in election years.
Several Michigan courts made live streams of proceedings available to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan Supreme Court routinely streams its proceedings and for a time encouraged local courts statewide to continue live streams even after the pandemic, but each court had discretion on the matter. Some courts have since completely retreated from the virtual sphere and no longer live stream their proceedings. Other courts have continued on, but with the caveat of producing a live stream without archiving the proceeding.
Philip Mayor, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan and the plaintiff's counsel in the Hallman case, told Michigan Advance that streaming proceedings is now technologically feasible, so the courts should be making their recordings available.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The named defendants in the case are Oakland District Court judges Travis Reeds and Lisa Asadoorian, as well as Oakland Chief Circuit Judge Jeffery Matis. A message seeking comment from Oakland County was not immediately returned.
Aside from courts that do make their proceedings public, the court sued in Hallman only provides a transcript when asked.
Mayor said a transcript is inadequate compared to an audio or video recording in capturing the tone, tenor and demeanor of a given judge, especially when an attorney or a party is seeking to highlight a judicial error upon appeal.
'Judges know this, because our appellate courts defer to trial judges when they make credibility findings, or when they talk about a witness's demeanor, because they say that judge was there to see that and experience that in person,' Mayor said. 'We recognize that that's meaningful. The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission recognizes this when it evaluates judges accused of misconduct because it looks at the videos and it discusses not just the words that were said, but the demeanor with which it was said, and the way people are treated by judicial officials.'
Mayor said that from a democracy standpoint, the public had a right to be informed about what goes on in Michigan's courthouses.
'It's just not realistic that [members of] the public are going to read a 40-page transcript, but it is realistic that the public, in informing themselves before an election, may watch a five minute clip of something that happens in the courthouses,' he added.
The lawsuit's complaint also details that paradigm as a taxpayer return-on-investment issue.
'Taxpayer dollars are used throughout Michigan to create recordings of courtroom proceedings, but those same taxpayers are routinely denied access to the very recordings their hard-earned funds pay to create,' the complaint said. 'This lack of transparency violates the First Amendment by denying the public the right to access and disseminate records of critical judicial proceedings, many of which constitute the bedrock upon which a functioning democracy is built.'
The Hallman lawsuit centers around one such instance where a recording of the court's proceedings was suppressed, implicating access and First Amendment issues.
The lead plaintiff, Dr. Samantha Hallman, said her brother was subjected to alleged abusive conduct from an Oakland District Court judge. A lawsuit in the Oakland Circuit Court followed to ferret out issues of the district judge's demeanor and the fact that her brother was denied an audio recording of the proceeding.
A local administrative order ultimately denied dissemination of that recording.
Hallman then attempted to get a copy to inform voters about the judge's courtroom conduct and demeanor, but she was denied under the same policy. She was later allowed to view a recording of the proceeding but was denied permission to disseminate the copy to the public, legislators and other policy makers.
Her lawsuit in the federal district court notes that a transparent and open court was one of the hallmarks of American democracy, and that civic engagement and government accountability depended upon open access.
'It was once a civic expectation that the public would attend trials and directly engage with democratic governance by doing so,' the complaint said. 'That is not possible in the modern world, but providing the public with access to existing recordings of what happens in our courts is the closest modern analog to this historical practice.'
The case is awaiting an answer from the defendants and possibly a motion to dismiss, Mayor said.
He noted that the issue wasn't specific to Oakland County. Mayor said there was a similar recent instance in Hamtramck where a judge had allegedly berated a cancer patient who had been sued on a civil offense for not keeping his lawn mowed. Someone had recorded the hearing, potentially in violation of the same policies Mayor and the ACLU of Michigan were suing to overturn in Oakland County. The video went public and drew voter attention, leading the judge to apologize.
'That just shows that a transcript of that hearing wasn't going to capture the public's attention, but the video did,' Mayor said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump says he's going to reduce Putin's 50 day deadline to end Ukraine war
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Monday he's looking to reduce the 50-day deadline he gave Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin, very disappointed at him,' the president said ahead of his meeting with UK President Keir Starmer in Scotland. 'So we're going to have to look, and I'm going to reduce that 50 days — that I gave him — to a lesser number, because I think I already know the answer what's going to happen.' 3 Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. Getty Images 3 A Ukrainian rescuer works to extinguish a fire at the site of an aerial attack in Kharkiv on July 24, 2025, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. AFP via Getty Images Trump had threatened Putin on July 14 to negotiate a cease-fire with Ukraine in 50 days — or face brutal secondary sanctions that could ravage Russia's economy even more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been open to meeting Putin to negotiate the end of the three-year war, but the Kremlin has been tepid about sending the Russian president to meet for direct talks, choosing to engage with lower staff first. The three Ukraine-Russia delegation meetings held in Turkey in the past few months have not successfully established a cease-fire, but have led to prisoner swaps. 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks with Vladimir Vladimirov, the governor of Stavropol Territory, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, July 28, 2025. AP Meanwhile, Trump has phoned Putin directly and has tried to be a mediator in the war between him in Zelensky. He's said that Putin tells him he wants to end the war, only to go on directing missiles strikes on Ukraine. 'We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street,' Trump went on in Scotland. 'And I say that's not the way to do it. So we'll see what happens with that.


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ‘immediate and unconditional' cease-fire, Malaysian PM says
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' cease-fire in a significant breakthrough to resolve deadly border clashes that entered a fifth day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday. Anwar, who chaired the talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional cease-fire' with effect from midnight local time Tuesday, Anwar said as he read out a joint statement. 6 Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet (L) and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (R) shake hands as Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (C) puts his arms around them following a press conference after talks on a possible cease-fire between Thailand and Cambodia in Putrajaya on July 28, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images 'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' Anwar said. Military and officials from both sides will also hold meetings to defuse border tensions, he said. The foreign and defense ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand have been instructed to 'develop a detailed mechanism' to implement and monitor the cease-fire to ensure sustained peace, he added. Hun Manet and Phumtam hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands at the conclusion of the brief press conference. Hun Manet said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that some 300,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home. 6 Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' cease-fire in a significant breakthrough to resolve deadly border clashes, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. Courtesy of Facebook user Chatchak Ratsamikaeo/AFP via Getty Images It is 'time to start rebuilding trust, confidence, and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia,' he said. Phumtham said the outcome reflected 'Thailand's desire for a peaceful resolution.' The fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. 6 Smoke rises from a convenience store at a gas station, amid the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, Thailand, July 24, 2025. via REUTERS Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides. Both countries recalled their ambassadors, and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia, with the exception of migrant Cambodian workers returning home. The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has warned that the United States may not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue. 6 Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides. AP The joint statement said that the U.S. is a co-organizer of the talks, with participation from China. The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting that lasted over two hours. The violence marks a rare instance of open military confrontation between ASEAN member states, a 10-nation regional bloc that has prided itself on non-aggression, peaceful dialogue, and economic cooperation. Evacuees from both sides of the border earlier prayed for a cease-fire deal. 6 Thai residents who fled their homes react at an evacuation center in Surin province, Thailand, on July 28, after hearing news about the cease-fire. AP At an evacuation shelter in Cambodia's Siem Reap province far away from the border, Ron Mao, 56, said she and her family fled their home a kilometer (0.6 mile) away from the front line when fighting broke out Thursday. They took refuge in a shelter but moved again to another camp further away after hearing artillery shelling. 'I don't want to see this war happen. It's very difficult and I don't want to run around like this,' she said. 'When I heard our Prime Minister go to negotiate for peace, I would be very happy if they reached the deal as soon as possible, so that I and my children can return home as soon as possible.' Thai evacuees echoed the sentiment. 6 Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional cease-fire' with effect from midnight local time Tuesday, Anwar (center) said as he read out a joint statement. AP 'I beg the government. I want it to end quickly,' said farmer Nakorn Jomkamsing at an evacuation camp in Surin hosting more than 6,000 people. 'I want to live peacefully. I miss my home, my pets, my pigs, dogs, and chicken,' the 63-year-old woman said. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
4 candidates vying to succeed Stimpson as Mobile mayor
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Interest is high in August's municipal election as Mobile's mayoral seat is open for the first time since 2013. Mayor Sandy Stimpson is not running for a fourth term in office. Four candidates are hoping to take his place. is a former District Court Judge who gave up his seat on the bench earlier this year to run for mayor. Stimpson has endorsed Cheriogotis, and the candidate has amassed a over his opponents. has spent the last decade as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Before that, she served in the administration of former Mobile Mayor Sam Jones and was a reporter for the Mobile Press-Register. has spent the last 15 years on the Mobile County Commission and previously served nine years as a member of the Mobile City Council. She is touting that experience in her campaign. served as Mobile Police chief from 2021 to 2024, before . This is his first run at elected office. Aug. 11 is the last day to register to vote. Aug. 19 is the last day to request an absentee application by mail. Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 26. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held Tuesday, Sept. 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword