Media
Members of the media are afforded the same access to the Virginia Beach Courthouse as members of the public and are expected to follow the same rules and regulations, including security screening and securing electronic devices.
Media requests to photograph or film any court proceeding must be made to the presiding judge at least 24 hours in advance. Media outlets may be required to pool video. Permission to film a court proceeding extends to that courtroom only and filming is not permitted inside the hallways or other areas of the building.
Contacts for each court are:
- General District: Pamela Pringle - ppringle@vacourts.gov
- Circuit: Norma Catoe - nlcatoe@vbgov.com
- Juvenile Domestic: vabjdr@vacourts.gov
The forms to request camera access to a hearing taking place in the General District or Circuit court are linked at the bottom of this page.
Filming, including on-camera interviews, is prohibited inside the Virginia Beach Courthouse without explicit permission from the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. Interviews and other filming should be conducted in the designated media staging area adjacent to the Courthouse entrance (across from the traffic circle).
Media inquiries regarding safety and security at the Virginia Beach Courthouse should be directed to the VBSO Public Information Office at pio@vbso.net or (757) 385-8446. Inquiries about any specific case should be directed to the attorneys involved. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer, Macie Allen, can be reached at (757) 385-8545 or mpallen@vbgov.com .
For additional court information including case lookup and docket information, visit the Courts site on VirginiaBeach.gov.