Bill would blur victim images in online court proceedings

State Rep. Ken Borton today delivered testimony before the House Committee on Judiciary in support of his plan to reinforce and expand privacy rights for crime victims in Michigan.

Michigan law limits public disclosure of some personal information about victims of serious crimes. For instance, pictures and videos of victims are exempt from requests for government records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Borton’s House Bill 5680 would maintain similar privacy in recorded court proceedings that are uploaded online or otherwise available to the public by permitting victims’ images to be blurred.

“My plan would help protect the privacy of crime victims by blurring their faces in prerecorded court proceedings,” said Borton, of Gaylord. “In the age of the internet, courts in Michigan have started uploading videos of judicial proceedings onto the internet. While some courts have blurred the faces of victims giving testimony, not all courts have followed suit. My plan would make explicit our courts’ ability to blur the face of a victim when uploading a recording.”

Borton pointed out that the bill would not restrict a defendant’s constitutional right to be confronted directly by witnesses during real-time proceedings.

The plan is part of a bipartisan package of victim privacy legislation. HB 5679 would expand the list of serious misdemeanors under which various victim protections apply. HB 5681 would allow victims to provide their oral impact statements remotely for sentencing. HB 5560 would protect victim privacy while clarifying that law enforcement may help connect domestic violence survivors with support services.

HBs 5560 and 5679-5681 remain under consideration by the committee.

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