Subcommittee advances court‑recording and parks‑safety bills; sports officials measure carried and vaping bill tabled

At a meeting of the Courts of Justice Subcommittee, members considered a set of criminal‑law measures ranging from court reporting rules to public‑safety and school‑discipline proposals. Several items passed unanimously, one was tabled and another was carried to a later meeting for revision.

Recording proceedings in JDR courts: Senator Carol Foy presented Senate Bill 965, which would explicitly permit recording proceedings in juvenile and domestic relations (JDR) courts the same way recording is allowed in general district court, while allowing judges to impose restrictions that protect confidentiality. Foy said the bill ‘‘explicitly make[s] it clear that recording a proceeding in JDR is also allowed, the same as it is in general district court.’’ Counsel and sponsors emphasized the measure does not convert district courts into courts of record. Valerie LaRue of the Virginia Poverty Law Center testified in support, saying low‑income litigants often cannot afford court reporters and that lack of a recorded proceeding can hamper appeals. SB 965 was…