James Russell Sweeney II at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- Jurisdiction
- Indiana · Federal
- Judicial service
- September 13, 2018–present
James Russell Sweeney II
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Available research
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AI abuse cases
1 caseAI-related ruling · February 12, 2026
Virgil v. Experian Information Solutions, et al.
- Court response
- Magistrate recommended Monetary Sanction and Bar Referral
Biography
Professional career
- Private practice, Indianapolis, IN, 1999-2018
- U.S. Marine Corps Reserve colonel, 1992-2013
- U.S. Marine Corps captain, 1983-1992
Judicial service
- Law Clerk, District Court, S.D. Iowa, 1996-1997
- Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1997-1998
- Judge, District Court, S.D. Indiana, 2018-present
Education
- United States Naval Academy · B.S., 1983
- University of Notre Dame · J.D., 1996
Personal record
Born 1961 · Indianapolis, IN
Courtroom rules and guidance
Civil Remote Testimony
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Criminal Recording And Broadcasting
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/5153451CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8640/james-russell-sweeney-ii/Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedureFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts