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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Courts - "Courts nationwide hold hearings with video"

Colleen Long reports in this long AP article in the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle that begins:

George Villanueva, charged with first-degree murder in the death of an NYPD officer, will not leave jail for months of pretrial hearings.

Instead, he'll be beamed into the courtroom via video as lawyers discuss his case in front of the judge.

Villanueva's case is part of a surge in court appearances done by video in New York and around the country, as cash-strapped communities look for ways to boost efficiency and cut costs. The tools are used in courts large and small, and the savings for some are staggering: $30 million in Pennsylvania so far, $600,000 in Georgia, and $50,000 per year in transportation costs in Ohio.

"We've had to trim our spending wherever we can and still provide what we think is effective constitutional justice, and we're doing that with the help of modern technology," said Pennsylvania State Supreme Court Justice Ronald D. Castille.

[More] Serendipitously, I think, I just received notice of this press release from the Indiana Supreme Court press office, that begins:
The State Public Defender is implementing a videoconferencing system to reduce costs and improve services. The system will allow attorneys to electronically meet with incarcerated clients. Indiana Public Defender Susan Carpenter announced the use of the technology and explained, “This will help us keep communication and travel costs down while still allowing our attorneys to meet with their clients.”

The videoconferencing equipment was installed at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle in partnership with the Indiana Department of Correction and the Indiana Office of Technology. The equipment resembles a pay phone and is designed specifically for correctional use. It features a video screen and camera (similar to a web cam) that transmits audio and video in real time. All the controls are maintained at the server in Indianapolis, so an offender is connected automatically with the attorney by simply lifting the handset. The equipment was purchased by the State Public Defender for $4630.

Before the videoconferencing system was implemented, attorneys communicated with their clients via mail or in-person meetings. Attorneys would drive from Indianapolis to the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility about 10 times per month, and each trip averaged about $250. Chief Deputy of the State Public Defender, Bill Polansky, coordinated the project and explained, “Substituting videoconferencing for some of the in-person visits will reduce travel time and expense. Videoconferencing will also improve our service to clients by increasing the amount of time we can spend talking with them.”

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 10, 2011 09:47 AM
Posted to Courts in general | Indiana Courts