Video Conferencing - Courthouses Are Making the Change
Since the horrible shootings that occurred in a courthouse in Atlanta in 2005, it is certain that many jurisdictions are working to improve courtroom security. A majority of counties have started using new technology to keep residents safe, with the sort of tech that appears to be used the most being video conferencing. Video conferencing is altering the way cases are tried in the U.S. today, as it is in widespread usage across the world' The installation of a single video conferencing system in the courthouse and another in the jail enables defendants held in the jail to participate in all court proceedings without incurring additional expenses and hazards.
The financial benefits to a county become apparent when you take into consideration that these valuable resources, such as law enforcement personnel, vehicles, court security, gasoline, and tolls, must be purchased. Because of a variety of circumstances, including the distance of the courthouse to the jail and the location of the courtroom, these charges may frequently approach $1,000 or more for a single trip. Visit Logitech Group Kenya
Through the course of a year, the resulting expense is very substantial when the purpose of video conferencing is to get rid of it. In October of 2003, the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance, on the recommendation of the Badger State Sheriff's Association, a member association of Wisconsin sheriff departments, started a study to determine whether video conferencing could be a money- and time-saver for police departments in various counties in the state. This analysis shows that if all counties were using the technology, it would save around $2.7 million. Wisconsin's Green County moved ahead with video conferencing after determining that the data and evident security benefits were sufficient.
The event in Atlanta proved to be the "spark" that had long been needed to begin the plan to employ video conferencing in the courts. Be warned, for this season has been very wet, and there is the potential for widespread flooding across Monroe County," Monroe County Judge James Beer stated in an interview in an article by Brian Gray of the Monroe Times "Next in the wave of the future will be video conferencing. It demonstrates that the court is finally getting on with the 21st century." For medical practitioners, this device will enable them to attend in criminal procedures, and persons serving time in prison will be able to appear from wherever they are "The advantages are innumerable. It save the county a substantial amount of money while simultaneously increasing courtroom security."
Courtroom video conferencing is used for other things, too. This technology is used by larger police departments like Abington (with 92 officers) to perform on-camera arraignments and then transfer fingerprints and images into the county's criminal databases. Within minutes, fingerprints and pictures may be compared to a defendant's criminal record, thereby leading to an arrest. Chief Livingood had this to say in an interview reported in an article by Harry Yanoshak of the Bucks County Courier Times: "The huge departments of Abington serve as a central booking location for defendants. Because defendants never have to leave the police station, video arraignments are efficient time-savers. For this reason, a trip to the courthouse takes two of our officers off of service for around two hours "he noted that if the on-call judge is situated across the county, the length of time might be even longer.
