Parsons Behle & Latimer shareholder and First Amendment attorney Mike Judd, who represents The Salt Lake Tribune, was quoted in an article regarding the use of cameras in the courtroom. The case involves a father, Micah Smith, who is accused of child torture charges for taking his young children on a hike in a cold winter storm in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Nov. 2025.
Attorneys for Smith argue that courtroom cameras should be banned, for reasons including that his children would be harmed if they saw him in a jail jumpsuit. Judd wrote in a reply filed last week that Utah’s court rules begin with a presumption that cameras are allowed — and that Smith “fails to demonstrate why this criminal proceeding should be treated differently.”
Judd also stated that if there is concern of Smith’s children seeing photos of him handcuffed or in jail clothing, the “more reasonable course” would be for the children’s guardians to limit their access to court coverage and images.
