Judicial Applications

The judicial system has found videoconferencing to be a cost-effective and productive technology for its needs. A number of counties have begun to install videoconference systems in jails and courthouses. These systems are used most commonly for "video arraignments", where a prisoner will go to a videoconferencing room in the jail. Another system in the courtroom has dedicated cameras to show the judge, prosecutor and defense attorney. The prisoner can see all of the members in the court, and the information is simultaneously recorded with a split screen 4 ways, so a complete record of the proceeding is made. This provides several benefits to the court system, as it reduces the number of defendants who need to be transported from jails to courthouses, reduces the overcrowding of courthouse holding facilities, reduces the security risks associated with transporting and handling defendants, saves time and saves money. Most of these types of systems currently run over private networks using proprietary technologies, but they could be designed using H.323 technology over a secure intranet as well.   The Courtroom 21 Project [21] at the William and Mary College of Law provides a glimpse at how videoconferencing is being integrated into the courtroom.