PURPOSE OF ORDER:
To set forth the policies regarding videotaped depositions of inmates in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
SCOPE OF ORDER:
This order shall apply to all personnel assigned to and/or working in any capacity at Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
ORDER:
When an attorney requests a videotaped deposition of an inmate housed in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, the following guidelines shall be given to him prior to approval of the request:
· The attorney must submit a written request to the TTCF Legal Unit a minimum of ten (10) working days prior to the date of the intended deposition. The request shall include the inmate's name, booking number, housing location, date and time of the deposition, and the name and title of all participants.
· The written request must be mailed to TTCF or delivered to the Visiting Bonus Deputy, Monday through Friday. The Visiting Bonus Deputy will forward the notice to the TTCF Legal Unit without delay.
· The attorney requesting the videotaped deposition will be required to obtain a court order for the deposition. The original court order must be delivered to the TTCF Legal Unit at least two days prior to the scheduled videotaping. The attorney must supply battery operated equipment, and a qualified operator. All equipment to be used at the deposition shall be thoroughly searched prior to its admission to the facility, and prior to its leaving the facility.
The only areas that are authorized for videotaped depositions are the interview rooms adjacent to Module 211 in Tower II.
Attorneys involved in the videotaping must enter the facility through the Tower II visiting lobby. They must pass through the metal detector prior to entering the facility and are subject to search at the discretion of the Visiting Bonus Deputy. The attorneys shall be escorted from the visiting lobby to the interview rooms.
The inmate is not allowed to bring any personal property into the interview room, nor shall he be allowed to receive any property from the attorney. The inmate may only possess those items which are necessary for the preparation of his case. Any violation of this provision shall cause the deposition to be terminated and the attorney to be escorted from the facility.
The deputy who escorts the inmate to the interview room shall conduct a strip search of the inmate if permitted pursuant to TTCF unit order 3-09-310, Inmate Searches, prior to the start of the deposition and immediately at the conclusion of the deposition. The search shall be conducted in the interview room to afford the inmate a certain amount of privacy.
During the videotaping, the interview rooms adjacent to the room being used shall be left vacant, if possible. At no time shall any portion of the room where the videotaping is being done be obscured from the view of the module officer. The module officer and/or the escorting deputy shall ensure that the inmate is the sole subject of the videotaping. No videotaping of the interior of the facility shall be allowed.
If the jail administrators elect not to allow the videotaped deposition, the attorney(s) may seek a removal order in order to depose the inmate outside of the facility.