Terrorism & organized crime court cases

Cases involving terrorism/organized crime cases can generate a large amount of national and international attention, and create unique security challenges for the courts. This section seeks to help identify some considerations the court should give when faced with such a case.

• Terrorism/organized crime cases attract a large amount of national media coverage, but also draw interest from representatives of the international media. It might benefit the court to create a FAQ document or guide to answer common questions these individuals might have about American courts and the court in question. This will help relieve pressures off of the court, and can greatly help those new to covering court cases gain their footing.
• With a terrorism case, there will be heightened concerns about court security.  It might be beneficial to begin a dialogue with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other relevant federal agencies due to increased security demands.
• With a terrorism case, it is likely that classified information will be involved. The trial judge and court staff may need to obtain security clearances to access that information.