Opinion ID: 1810757
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Privacy rights of participants.

Text: It is contended here that it is an invasion of an espoused right of privacy to compel a witness or juror to appear in a judicial proceeding by legal process, then expose him against his will to the notoriety or publicity attendant to his image appearing in a newspaper, magazine, or television broadcast. This argument fails for two reasons. First, a judicial proceeding, subject to certain limited exceptions, is a public event which by its very nature denies certain aspects of privacy. Second, and more compelling, there is no constitutionally recognized right of privacy in the context of a judicial proceeding. The scope of privacy interests protected by the United States Constitution, which have been characterized as penumbrae formed by emanations from the specific guarantees in the Bill of Rights, [58] has been narrowly circumscribed by recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court to include only matters relating to marriage, procreation, contraception, family relationships, and child rearing and education. Paul v. Davis, 424 U.S. 693, 96 S.Ct. 1155, 47 L.Ed.2d 405 (1976); see also Laird v. State, 342 So.2d 962 (Fla. 1977), and cases cited therein. Furthermore, there is no express guarantee of a right of privacy contained in the Constitution of Florida, nor has any such constitutionally guaranteed right yet been found to exist through implication. Laird v. State . Consequently, objections to amendment of Canon 3 A(7) predicated upon violation of participants' privacy rights are unavailing.