---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 20142"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "20142"
heading: "Closed circuit televised court proceedings for victims of crime"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/20142"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons"
  - "Chapter 201 — Victim Rights, Compensation, and Assistance"
  - "Subchapter III — Additional Victim Compensation and Services"
---

# §20142. Closed circuit televised court proceedings for victims of crime

- (a) **In general—** Notwithstanding any provision of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to the contrary, in order to permit victims of crime to watch criminal trial proceedings in cases where the venue of the trial is changed—
  - (1) out of the [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) in which the case was initially brought; and
  - (2) more than 350 miles from the location in which those proceedings originally would have taken place;

  the trial court shall order closed circuit televising of the proceedings to that location, for viewing by such persons the court determines have a compelling interest in doing so and are otherwise unable to do so by reason of the inconvenience and expense caused by the change of venue.

- (b) **Limited access—**
  - (1) **Generally—** No other person, other than official court and security personnel, or other persons specifically designated by the court, shall be permitted to view the closed circuit televising of the proceedings.
  - (2) **Exception—** The court shall not designate a person under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) if the presiding judge at the trial determines that testimony by that person would be materially affected if that person heard other testimony at the trial.
- (c) **Restrictions—**
  - (1) The signal transmitted pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) shall be under the control of the court at all times and shall only be transmitted subject to the terms and conditions imposed by the court.
  - (2) No public broadcast or dissemination shall be made of the signal transmitted pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a). In the event any tapes are produced in carrying out [subsection (a)](#a), such tapes shall be the property of the court and kept under seal.
  - (3) Any violations of this subsection, or any rule or order made pursuant to this section, shall be punishable as contempt of court as described in [section 402 of title 18](/usc/18/402.md).
- (d) **Donations—** The Administrative Office of the United States Courts may accept donations to enable the courts to carry out [subsection (a)](#a).
- (e) **Construction—**
  - (1) [^1] Nothing in this section shall be construed—
    - (i) to create in favor of any person a cause of action against the United States or any officer or employees thereof, or
    - (ii) to provide any person with a defense in any action in which application of this section is made.
- (f) **“State” defined—** As used in this section, the term “[State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3)” means any [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), the District of Columbia, or any possession or territory of the United States.
- (g) **Rules—** The Judicial Conference of the United States, pursuant to its rule making authority under [section 331 of title 28](/usc/28/331.md), may promulgate and issue rules, or amend existing rules, to effectuate the policy addressed by this section. Upon the implementation of such rules, this section shall cease to be effective.
- (h) **Effective date—** This section shall only apply to cases filed after January 1, 1995.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 104–132, title II, § 235, Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1246.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, referred to in subsec. (a), are set out in the Appendix to Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 10608 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.