CVN screenshot of plaintiff attorney Donald Migliori delivering his opening statement
Santa Fe, NM - A New Mexico State court jury heard opening statements Monday in a historic lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general accusing Facebook and Instagram parent company META of endangering underage users, and the full trial is being recorded and broadcast gavel-to-gavel by Courtroom View Network.
The potentially eight-week trial could have major industry-wide implications for social media platforms. The New Mexico Department of Justice accuses META of inappropriately targeting teenagers to boost advertising revenue while failing to protect younger users from online exploitation, however the company argues it provides robust safety features to protect children, and that it continuously develops and implements new safety features.
CVN, the only news organization dedicated to gavel-to-gavel video coverage of civil jury trials, is serving as the designated media pool provider for the duration of the trial and will be recording and broadcasting the full trial until its conclusion, including all witness testimony. Coverage is available both live in real-time and also on-demand to watch previously recorded portions via www.cvn.com.
Given the stakes of the trial and the potential widespread impact of a jury verdict, Judge Bryan Biedscheid’s Santa Fe courtroom has been overwhelmed by an army of attorneys from across the country along with a sizable media presence, along with dozens of reporters observing the trial remotely nationwide via CVN.
In addition to the New Mexico Department of Justice, the state is also represented by a large team from the South Carolina-based powerhouse plaintiff firm Motley Rice LLP.
META is represented by a phalanx of high-powered white shoe firms. With Holland & Hart LLP and Rodey Dickason Sloan Akin & Robb PA serving as local New Mexico counsel, the company is also represented by teams from Covington & Burling LLP’s San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, DC offices along with a large DC-based team from Kellogg Hansen Todd Figel & Frederick PLLC.
CVN screenshot of defense attorney Kevin Huff delivering his opening statement
The New Mexico trial gets underway the same week a state court jury in Los Angeles also hears opening statements in another major bellwether trial involving META’s alleged liability for teenage social media addiction. That trial is followed by a potentially even more consequential federal trial later this year in multi-district litigation consolidated in San Francisco.
The New Mexico trial presents a unique opportunity for cameras to document the proceedings. New Mexico’s guidelines for cameras in courtrooms include a presumption of access to otherwise public proceedings, provided the camera isn’t disruptive and complies with restrictions like not filming jurors.
California leaves courtroom camera access entirely up to the discretion of the judge with no presumptive right of access, allowing a judge to approve or deny a camera access request for any reason. The trial judge in that case denied all requests to have a camera present in the courtroom.
Federal district court, to the chagrin of journalists and open government advocates alike, remains almost entirely off limits to any video coverage of trial proceedings.
Judge Biedscheid denied requests from META to prohibit video coverage of the trial, citing the strong presumption of access to an open courtroom in New Mexico’s camera guidelines along with his own personal experience having cameras present for lengthy civil trials.
CVN’s live and on-demand coverage will continue until the jury reaches a verdict or the trial otherwise concludes.
The case is captioned State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., case number D-101-CV-2023-02838 in New Mexico’s 1st Judicial Circuit in Santa Fe County.
Email David Siegel at dsiegel@cvn.com
