Like most federal courts, the Supreme Court is closed to outside recording devices, but a democracy activism group called 99rise may have broken that rule, smuggling out the first known video of the Supreme Court in session. The video shows the court arguing McCutcheon v. FEC, a campaign financing case most recently argued on October 8th, 2013. One 99rise protestor is removed from the court, but another appears to film throughout the proceedings, including partial views of several justices.
This video could be the first footage captured inside the Supreme Court
It’s still unclear if the footage is authentic, but a Supreme Court representative told The Wall Street Journal that the court is aware of the footage and currently reviewing it. While anti-recording rules are still quite common in the justice system, they have grown increasingly difficult to enforce as cameras shrink and proliferate to different devices. The result is that, while this footage may be the first captured from within the court, it’s unlikely to be the last.
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