Courts are for sorting truth from lies - good data from bad. Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit is taking that mission to its technological conclusion. Inside Courtroom 23, digital videocams capture the proceedings, exhibits pop up on flat-panel displays, and the judge runs the show via touchscreen. It's an ideal arrangement for trying evidence-intensive product liability and business disputes. (Just ask Johnnie Cochran, who won a $240 million suit against Disney here in 2000.) The $400,000 setup in Orlando has become a model for courtroom upgrades nationwide. Here's a peek inside.
Cameras in the Courtroom
Six digital videocams take turns recording whoever is speaking into a mike. Footage is webcast on the court's site - Ninja9.org (yes, the CTO is a total geek) -éfor all to see. Server logs show execs in Anaheim closely monitored the Disney trial. A seventh camera shoots stills of evidence, from patient x-rays to bloody gloves.
Touchscreens for the Bench
Imagine the judge as John Madden. That's the Telestrator fun that can be had with the courtroom's touchscreens. Jurists - and the lawyers and witnesses - mark up digital images stored on a central server. The judge also activates closed-captioning by tapping into court reporters' real-time transcripts.
Networked Handhelds for Lawyers
Attorneys tote wireless touchscreen handhelds - Crestron STX-1700Cs, supplied by the court - that tap into the multimedia system. Lawyers can also jack into the network and use laptops to introduce visuals, from crime scene photos to spreadsheets.
Audio on (and off) the Record
All audio is digitally recorded and can be played back on the spot by the judge, who also can cut the mikes to keep sidebar conferences private. The live feeds are piped to a building next door, where a pool of court reporters does the transcribing for this and other courtrooms.
- Mark Yarm
credit: Robert Wiley.
credit:Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Cameras in the Courtroom
credit:Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.Touchscreens for the Bench
credit:Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.caption_4="Networked Handhelds for Lawyers"
credit:Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.Audio on (and off) the Record
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