A Chicago lawyer who took photos and tweeted them from a federal courthouse is in serious hot water. US District Chief Judge Ruben Castillo has ordered (PDF) Vincent "Trace" Schmeltz III to appear in his courtroom later this month and explain why he shouldn't face sanctions.

Chicago-based ethics lawyers told the National Law Journal that Schmeltz could face a censure, reprimand, or fine. He could also be subject to separate discipline from state officials who regulate the bar.

Schmeltz took the photos last month during the United States v. Coscia trial, a closely watched case that involved the first trial over what's called "spoofing," a term for buying a futures contract with the intent of canceling it later.

On November 3, Michael Coscia, a high-frequency trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, was convicted by a jury on 12 counts of fraud and spoofing.

During the trial, Schmeltz tweeted and blogged updates of what was happening, according to the order. On October 28, he published nine tweets, each one including a photograph of evidence shown in court.

One such tweet read: "Coscia averaging over 10k in profits a day when manually doing what he wanted his algos to do. #HFT #cosciatrial"

Another stated: "Prosecution trying to impeach algo with this email. #HFT #cosciatrial"

An FBI special agent who was observing the trial saw Schmeltz using a "handheld device" to take photographs of the evidence being displayed on courtroom monitors. Later, court officials looked over the tweets that Schmeltz had posted on his Twitter account, @TraceSchmeltz. The tweets have since been deleted.

The order to show cause points out that US District Judge Harry Leinenweber, who oversaw the Coscia trial, didn't allow any use of "text-based technology" in court. A four-foot sign posted outside his courtroom reminded visitors that "PHOTOGRAPHING, RECORDING OR BROADCASTING IS PROHIBITED."

Rules on devices vary among federal courthouses. In Chicago, devices may be brought into court, but audio or visual recording is prohibited. Other federal courts don't allow devices to be brought in at all.

Schmeltz didn't respond to inquiries from NLJ, but earlier in the week he told The Chicago Tribune that he simply hadn't noticed the signage, and it was one of his first times in court on a case that wasn't his own. He only photographed evidence on-screen, not witnesses or jurors, he noted.

"I'm not used to being a spectator," Schmeltz told the newspaper. "It's a lesson learned on my part."

Schmeltz will get to try out his apologies before a judge on December 8.