April / May 18

April/May 2018

Interactive Mobile Apps Made Easy Dependable Sight & Sound Analysis: Declining Caseloads

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Courts Today 69 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755

SECURING YOUR DATA

Vol. 16 No. 2

with alternative & diversion programs

Publisher & Executive Editor Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher Jennifer Kapinos

A P R I L / M AY 2 018 VOLU M E 16 N U M B E R 2 F EATU R E S

Editor Donna Rogers Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Bill Schiffner G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason Art Director Jamie Stroud Marketing Representatives Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472

10 Declining State Court Caseloads: An Analysis

Art Sylvie (480) 816-3448 Peggy Virgadamo (718) 456-7329

16 Ways to Secure Your Data 22 Dependable Sight & Sound 28 Customer-facing Interactive Court Apps Made Easy

with alternative & diversion programs

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C O U RTS I N T H E M E D I A PACER FEES SHOULDN’T FUND MOST COURT TECH, JUDGE RULES Thirty years after federal courts began offering online access to litigation records through the PACER system, a federal judge ruled that fees paid by the public for such access cannot fund other courtroom technologies, according to an April 2 account in Courthouse News Service.

The National Veterans Legal Services Program, National Consumer Law Center and Alliance for Justice brought the underlying challenge in Washington as a federal class action, accusing the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts of charging PACER users more than what was necessary to operate the system, in violation of the E-Government Act of 2002.

Short for Public Access to Court Electronic Records, the PACER system charges anywhere from 10 cents to $3 for most searches, page views and PDF downloads, CNS said.

Between 2010 and 2016, U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle noted in her March 31 ruling, the judiciary raked in some $920 million in PACER fees. The fees were divided into two categories: congressional priorities and program requirements.

The judiciary failed to persuade Huvelle that fees collected under the latter category can be used for anything related to “disseminating information through electronic means.”

“It is not entirely clear to the court how the defendant arrived at this definition,” Huvelle wrote. While Huvelle found that digital-audio equipment was a legitimate courtroom-technology expenditure, her ruling lists several other impermissible uses.

“The court does not see how flatscreen TVs for jurors or those seated in the courtroom, which are used to display exhibits or other evidence during a court proceeding, fall within the statute as they do not provide the public with access to electronic information maintained and stored by the federal courts on its CM/ECF docketing system,” the ruling says, using an abbreviation for the case management/electronic case files system.

Digital-audio equipment on the other hand allows recordings to be made during court proceedings and then made part of the PACER electronic docket.

While the challengers said the government should charge only enough to cover the marginal cost of operating the system, Huvelle chided them for basing this point on a 2002 Senate committee report that mentioned an alternative fee structure.

“In the end, a single sentence in a

committee report, which has been taken out of context, is not enough to persuade the Court that Congress intended the E-Government Act to impose a specific limitation on the judiciary’s collection and use of EPA fees to the operation of only PACER,” the ruling says, abbreviating electronic public access.

As quoted in the ruling, the line from the report at issue said: “The committee intends to encourage the Judicial Conference to move from a fee structure in which electronic docketing systems are supported primarily by user fees to a fee structure in which this information is freely available to the greatest extent possible.”

PA’S BEAVER COUNTY COURT ADOPTS NEW TECHNOLOGIES The court system in Beaver County, Pa., has adapted in various ways to incorporate new technology.

According to Deputy Court Administrator Aileen Bowers, everything from court filings to arraignment hearings have been updated in some capacity as paperless and digital options become more prevalent.

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts recently changed guidelines and some record keeping in local courts. Bowers said criminal complaints, which include affidavits of probable cause, are now scanned into a computer system.

And at the courthouse, the court administration recently created a system of digital signs that are updated to show where hearings are occurring throughout the building.

Signs also can be quickly changed in the event of an emergency and can serve to inform the public how to exit the building.

In addition, photos, videos and audio recordings have been digitized and are often played during hearings and criminal trials, and a video conferencing system helps with arraignments and prisoner transports.

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BY RI C H A RD S C H A U F F LE R In the years from 2006 to 2015 criminal cases have declined by about 15 percent.

COURT TRENDS:

THE RISE AND FALL OF STATE COURT CASELOADS Numbers of caseloads in state courts have been declining rapidly over the past decade. Here are some findings disclosed by the National Center for State Courts.

Since

the Great Recession in 2008, caseloads in the state courts have been declining rapidly—16 percent between 2006 and 2015, a loss of about 16 million cases. Across all case categories— civil, criminal, juvenile, domestic relations, traffic—and across all states, this pattern is pervasive and persistent. While there is some variation due to demographics or policy and budget changes within states,

the overall trend is clear. What is not known is why this is happening.

Some might argue that we are experiencing a course correction from a period of excess litigation.

Others will cite budget reductions in government and economic pressures on those bringing cases (both businesses and individuals). Many would agree that the courts’ traditional processes and limited use of information technology and Web and mobile services have discour-

aged those seeking justice, thus removing courts as the venue of choice for dispute resolution. In addition to inconvenience, the complexity and cost of a traditional legal process make it frustrating for those seeking justice to find it. This edition of Trends: Close Up continues the conversation among the state courts and their partners—citizens, businesses, and justice system organizations—to develop a common understanding and appropriate response

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to this trend.

But before engaging in that discussion, it is useful to answer these two questions: Why does it matter?

If courts are outliving their usefulness, should we care? We believe the answer to both questions is yes.

Courts exist in our system of government for several critical reasons.

First, it is through courts that those seeking justice can obtain it, regardless of wealth or power. Courts exist to ensure that asymmetries of power do not dictate the outcome of dis-

An examination of case categories will shed some light on how we can begin to understand the forces reshaping our judicial system. putes. Second, in our common-law system, a public record of court decisions is essential for establishing and updating our legal system.

When disputes are resolved in private venues, information is denied to the public and to those seeking to ensure appropriate regulation of social and economic life. And third, the judiciary plays a key role in ensuring checks and balances on the power and actions of the executive and legislative branches.

An examination of case categories will shed some light on how we can begin to understand the forces reshaping our judicial system.

Domestic Relations Cases Domestic relations cases—dissolution, divorce, custody, child support—have declined 14 percent from 2006 to 2015. People are marrying later in life and having fewer children, which in turn may be associated with a lower divorce rate and fewer custody and support disputes.

(C. C. Miller, “The Divorce Surge Is Over,” New York Times, December 2, 2014). While the notion of a 50 percent divorce rate has long been assumed as the way things are in the United States, in fact the divorce rate has been declining; the divorce rate is now 35 percent for those married in 1990s.

Juvenile Cases The sharpest decline in state court caseloads is the 40 percent decline in juvenile (delinquency and dependency) cases. The decline in juvenile delinquency cases alone from 2006 to 2015 (-49 percent) mirApril/May 2018 12

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Domestic relations cases—dissolution, divorce, custody, child support— have declined 14 percent from 2006 to 2015. rors the decline in the juvenile arrest rate: Arrests for juvenile crimes have fallen 50 percent between 2005 and 2014, according to Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, “Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime,” December 13, 2015.

Status offenses (e.g., truancy) dropped sharply (-40 percent) during this period, while dependency cases fell only 17 percent, according to Court Statistics Project, Data from 20 states, 2005-2016, National Center for State Courts.

Civil Much has been written about the decline in civil caseloads, and many states have undertaken a series of reforms to improve access to civil justice. The Conference of Chief Justices launched the Civil Justice Improvements Committee to develop an empirical grasp on the civil landscape of our state courts. The 2015 NCSC report The Landscape of Civil Litigation in State Courts found

About the Series: These special reports are part of the National Center for State Courts’ “Trends in the State Courts” series and serve as informative and timely updates for state court leaders.

Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, not necessarily of the National Center for State Courts.

that contract cases comprised twothirds of civil cases and that almost two-thirds of these cases were debt-collection or landlord/tenant cases. The decline in civil is attributed to cost, inconvenience, complexity, and delay.

Criminal While it is true that budget cuts and reductions in law-enforcement and prosecution resources have cut the flow of incoming cases off at the source, the crime rate has been in a steady decline for decades. Since 1993, homicide is down 51 percent; forcible rape declined 35 percent; robbery dropped 56 percent; and aggravated assault decreased 46 percent. Property crimes have also dropped sharply. (See J. Wolfers’ article “Perceptions Haven’t Caught Up to Decline in Crime,” The New York Times, September 16, 2014).

Traffic Traffic/Violations cases account for over half of the total state court caseloads, and their 17 percent decline drives the overall trend.

Here a variety of factors all beyond the influence (much less control) of the state courts are key. Young people are obtaining driver’s licenses later (if at all); a Texas Judicial Council study showed the proportion of licensed drivers aged 16-18 years old was down over 20 percent since 1983. See the factors examined in a comprehensive report published by the Texas Judicial Council,

“Report on Statistical Trends: Cases Related to Motor Vehicles,” June 3, 2016 .

The biggest cultural change is the extent of distracted driving due to cell-phone use. However, the data to empirically determine the role of distracted driving is quite poor. A National Safety Council study audited 180 fatal crashes in which evidence indicated cell-phone use by the driver. Of the crashes in 2011 alone, only 52 percent of these crashes were coded as involving cell-phone use. New York state reported only one case in this year, but this is probably due to underreporting (National Council of State Legislatures, Traffic Safety Trends: State Legislative Action 2014, February 2015.)

Conclusion Making the best use of available resources and deploying them in the public interest requires that courts ask: What cases belong in court?

How might we adjudicate those cases effectively and efficiently, in the eyes of those seeking justice? Courts need to sort out what factors they can influence (e.g., delay and costs that discourage civil litigation) from those they cannot (the divorce rate) and focus on improving the adjudication of cases that belong in court.

Continued improvement in caseload reporting makes greater insight into caseload trends possible. CT Richard Schauffler is former Director of Research at the National Center for State Courts.

Source: Originally released by National Center for State Courts with support of Thomson Reuters, April 2017.

See the report online at http://www.ncsc.org/~/media/microsites /files/trends%202016/close%20up/caseloads.ashx

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BY G. F. G U ERC I O, C O N T R I B U T I N G E D IT O R

Critical information security concerns grow as each news cycle breaks.

NCSC, CJIS and other groups provide documentation and protocols, now it’s up to the court and agency to protect the data.

Synergy CMS application security model is defined by the underlying Intelligent Data Manager (IDM) technology. This diagram demonstrates the application of authentication and authorization services.

rivacy. Security. Hack. Or pop-up quiz if you’re talking about Facebook.

How can courts and agencies keep their records and data safe? Fortunately, software across the criminal justice system is primed to stave off any leaks, attacks, or loose sharing.

Starting with a case management system (CMS), for example, FullCourt Enterprise provides a foundation of controls to secure

access to functionality and sensitive data, which includes authentication, access controls, logging, and encryption, says Justice Systems President Ernie Sego. “[It] also provides numerous design features to provide comprehensive security and protect data resources such as a robust authentication and access control framework (i.e., Spring Security), user sessions expire after a configurable inactivity period, use of an Object Relational Mapping

library (i.e., Hibernate) for database access, and more.”

FullCourt Enterprise supports client-side certificates for multi-factor authentication and utilizes an open platform security module.

Sego explains this security module works with a wide range of models either provided by third parties or developed by standards bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force. “In addition to its own authentication, FullCourt Enterprise

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and Terms LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)—An application protocol for querying and modifying items in directory service providers.

Microsoft Active Directory (AD)—A directory service that Microsoft developed for Windows domain networks.

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)—An open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular, between an identity provider and a service provider.

SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security)—TLS and its predecessor, SSL, are cryptographic protocols that provide communications security over a computer network.TLS is an updated, more secure, version of SSL. DBMS/ RDBMS (Database Management System/ Relational Database Management System)—A computer-software application that interacts with end-users, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data.

RDBMS is based on the relational model invented by Edgar F. Codd, of IBM's San Jose Research Laboratory fame.

ABAC/RBAC (Attribute Based Access Control/Role Based Access Control)— ABAC defines an access control paradigm whereby access rights are granted to users through the use of policies which combine attributes together. RBAC employs pre-defined roles that carry a specific set of privileges associated with them and to which subjects are assigned.

SQL (Structured Query Language) injection—SQL is a standardized query language for requesting information from a database. A code injection technique could destroy a database; one of the most common web hacking techniques.

TDE (Transparent Data Encryption)—Encrypts SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Azure SQL Data Warehouse data files, known as encrypting data at rest.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)—An application protocol for distributed, collaborative, and hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)—A variant of the standard web transfer protocol (HTTP) that adds a layer of security on the data in transit through a secure socket layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol connection.

Spring Security—A framework that focuses on providing both authentication and authorization to Java applications.

ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)—A programming technique for converting data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages. Hibernate is a type.

J2EE (Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition)—A platform-independent, Java-centric environment from Sun for developing, building and deploying Web-based enterprise applications online.

Symmetrical/Asymmetrical Key Encryption—Symmetrical makes use of a single key for both the encryption and decryption process. In an asymmetrical cryptosystem, the encryption key is public and it is different from the decryption key, which is kept private.

supports authentication using Microsoft Active Directory via LDAP. Support for single sign-on via SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is in progress.�

As a browser-based solution, the software supports HTTPS using either Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and/or Transport Layer Security (TLS) such that all communications between the browser and the application server are encrypted end-toend. The underlying database management system (DBMS) controls the encryption for data replication.

He adds, “FullCourt Enterprise addresses potential vulnerability to the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) top 10 web application security risks by a combination of application design, system setup/configuration, and systems administration processes.� “Security within the application consists of Functional, Field, and Context security, and is assigned to users by associating each user to a defined role: judge, clerk, administrator, etc.,� whether local or remote access, court user access, justice partner access, or public access.

For public access, Justice Systems recommends a separate Web/ Application server and separate Database Server, utilizing a replica, with possible redactions, of the production database that is periodically updated, allowing additional security implementation at the data access layer. “We also recommend the Public Access portal be placed behind a firewall that provides IDS/IPS capability (Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Protection System), as well as a Web Application Firewall.�

To access and securely share critical information throughout the criminal justice system and public safety enterprise Tyler’s DataXchange reaches across a select group of jurisdictions: counties, states and municipalities, as well as across agencies:

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Tyler’s DataXchange provides safe sharing between jurisdictions and agencies.

jails, county and municipal courts, law enforcement and supervision.

Information is shared under a strict set of guidelines and authorizations that the sharing agency specifies.

Based on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, it is query-based and stores a limited subset of data.

When DataXchange returns queried data, only summary information is immediately available. It includes a mechanism to query for detailed data, such as case information, which is not stored. DataXchange provides access between clients using Incode, Tyler Public Safety and Odyssey.

One of the keys to Odyssey managing confidentiality/security, according to Michael Kleiman, director of Marketing, Tyler Technologies Courts & Justice Division, is a robust, flexible way to grant user’s rights to access information. “Different business units, departments, types of users, or individual users can be set up to have the ability to view or edit different data.” Unique configuration settings for a user are controlled by the April/May 2018x WWW . C OU R T ST OD AY . CO M

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rights granted within a business unit.

Additionally, Kleiman states: “Cases and documents can be sealed in Odyssey through case security groups and document group codes.” The administrator defines those that have access to view a particular document security type. “Securing data within the body of a document is managed through redaction, the original document can be viewed by users that have the appropriate security access; otherwise, users view the redacted version,” he says, crediting Odyssey Redaction.

He relates in an article entitled, “Best Practices for Court Privacy Policy Formulation” (July 2017), the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) recommends courts create electronic public access policies before they embark on electronic filing and e-court projects. “Most state policies close a broad range of case types and document types to public access, usually justifying this action with the difficulty and expense of reliably redacting information that should remain confidential.”

Troy Burke, director of Government Solutions, Extract Systems, agrees the impetus for courts to deploy redaction software is often the desire to make records publicly available online. “Many courts today place the responsibility to redact on the filer because they don’t want to take on the responsibility of redaction and the work it can entail.” However, he adds, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning have pushed the boundaries of automated redaction accuracy rates to new heights.

Extract’s Automated Redaction Platform ID Shield protects courts and its constituents from the risk of identity theft by automatically redacting sensitive information in electronic records.”

In 2017, Extract participated in a

Example of a case page with configurable header and panels for equivant’s JWorks.

Screens can be named and assigned to specific user groups and individuals for security.

Proof of Concept with NCSC to provide redaction benchmarks for courts planning to implement redaction technology to show how it has improved over the years with the advent of AI and Machine Learning.

“We performed a Proof of Concept along with one other vendor and the result was an overall accuracy rate of 97.81 percent. The redaction rate was perfect on structured documents and 98.33 percent on typewritten documents,” Burke says. (see: https://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/accessfair/id/804/rec/1) “When it comes to redacting documents, the key is to limit the chances of unredacted information slipping through the cracks,” Burke continues. The Extract Platform provides detailed analytics that enable courts to get a real-time view of their overall redaction accuracy rate, accuracy by field, document type, or submitter. With this information courts can proactively focus on addressing weaknesses such as submitters providing unredacted documents.

Fairfax County Court selected Extract Systems and ID Shield for historical and day-forward redaction needs. Says Brenna Sawyer, project manager, Fairfax, Va., Clerk of Court, “Through our partnership with Extract Systems we were able to redact 44.5 million backfile and

gap images and integrate redaction with our day-forward processes—all a month ahead of schedule. They offered us a solid product with a 99.5 percent accuracy rate or better….” Extract integrated with Fairfax’s custom in-house document management system as well.

From the lowest level business method to the web application, equivant enforces user authorization and authentication at all levels, says Sherry Agcanas-Wolf, director, Court Product Management.

“Authentication asks the user to provide valid credentials to login to the application; authorization validates the roles or privileges that are available for the user login and provides or restricts access to different views, controls, or functionality in the application. Our software’s security rests upon a Javabased security solution particularly suited to J2EE-based enterprise applications.”

She adds, “Component access to critical information can be as coarsegrained as an entire process or as fine-grained as a single field. Our software supports user authorization through standardized external directory services like LDAP.” All activity in the application is recorded in an internal audit log, which can be used for security audits and related reports if desired.

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“Our software supports encrypted data exchange using our Integrator application and relies upon connecting partners to be able to accept or transmit encrypted data,” Agcanas-Wolf adds. Encryption configurations are (e.g., symmetrical AES-256, asymmetrical RSA 2048, etc.) for both data at rest and data in motion. JWorks uses encryption for password security and for data at rest. Data in transmission is secured through HTTPS protocols. Electronic content can easily be associated with cases and parties on a case.

Synergy’s CMS provides security through an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) protocol, states Adam Watson, program manager. The system maintains a comprehensive user activity log and case-level audit trails to maintain secure accounting of all changes to the system.

“The User Management console is built into the Administration Module of the Synergy CMS and allows application administrators to manage the users who have access to the application resources,” he says. It enables user access permissions based on a combined model of ABAC (Attribute Based Access Control) and RBAC (Role Based Access Control). System administrators can define application, form, and field-level user access permissions for individuals, groups, or roles defined by permissions granted on cases at specific stages or relevant to institution.

The Administration Module also provides a centralized user directory, defines system-wide settings and classifications, and maintains a comprehensive user activity log. “Synergy CMS has internal data validation mechanisms that promote data integrity and inhibit data corruption. Additionally, each Case File has a built-in audit trail to track all changes to the form, tracking the fields modified, the date and time, and the user responsible,” says Watson.

“The Synergy CMS is secured at several levels: at the network level through standard physical and network security infrastructure and firewalls, at the application level and through the application design features, at the code level through penetration testing to avoid SQL injection,” Watson furthers. As for the RDBMS security, Synergy CMS uses MS SQL Server 2016 (Standard/Enterprise) with the security features: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), Always Encrypted, Row level security, Dynamic Data Masking, Column Level Encryption, SSL for network traffic encryption, and Backup encryption.

Using the same encryption as major financial institutions, Shadowtrack’s supervision application data is protected from unauthorized access both while it is being transmitted and stored, never providing encryption keys to any third parties. Shadowtrack

Technologies’ monitoring software is only accessible to authorized personnel, with each user having a proprietary login and password, explains Nancy J. Adams, customer support relations. All changes to participant or demographic information and/or monitoring data are saved within the system.

“For quality control and security purposes, our Information Technology staff is able to view access trails left by users when they login into the system. This is used to conduct audits and Quality Control checks,” Adams says. Additionally, Shadowtrack will provide any information on attempted intrusions or other relevant information to the department for further investigation and referral for criminal action, should they occur.

“For programs where identity confirmation is required, as with check-ins,” she furthers, “our system verifies this through the use of biometric identification.

Biometric voice and/or facial samples are collected at enrollment and retained in our software system.”

For all those retained files or newly created ones as well as those public access queries, software parameters form the barrier to contain critical information and secure data. It’s simply up to the court to deploy it. CT

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BY DONNA ROG ERS , E D IT O R

Dialing Up Dependable Sight & Sound In a well-run courtroom, it may seem as if nothing is better than having a reliable and intuitive audio-visual system that provides virtually irrefutable visuals for evidence and lock-tight storage of recordings that can be archived and played back to the jury at a finger touch. Add a telephonic appearance solution to the mix that makes remote testimony a breeze and you have a recipe for a smoother running courthouse. But perhaps the best part, in addition to all the above, is the economy and return on investment on technology that the following firms offer. Take a look at their latest in digital innovations for your courtroom.

Telephonic Court Appearances VCourt™, an easy-to-use browser application, was developed by

VCourt allows participants to browse the Court webpage, view and schedule a telephonic appearance, and facilitate the payment.

Streamwrite, an ATI Connect company, for registration and cancellation of telephonic court appearances, according to the firm.

Accessed via a Court's website, VCourt leverages the Court's case management system and payment processor, and is delivered as a

hosted or an on-premises solution on top of the award-winning Sonexis ConferenceManager2 audio processing platform.

VCourt allows participants to browse to the Court webpage, view and schedule an appearance, and facilitate the payment. VCourt pro-

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Three Primary Sight & Sound Services Williams AV™ products are well recognized in the courtroom AV market, being used in federal, state, and local circuits, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Cook County

IMAGE COURTESY OF WILLIAMS AV

duces daily reports for each courtroom, empowering coordinators to see what is scheduled, as well as access other administrative functions.

While other remote appearance solutions exist in the market, VCourt improves upon the experience in two critical ways.

First is VCourts' unprecedented level of control for the court coordinators and participants, the firm notes.

The Sonexis ConferenceManager2 provides Courtroom operators/hosts with intuitive, real-time, and complete control of calls via a dashboard that visually shows participants and case numbers along with robust call control features.

Second, VCourt generates exceptional ROI, the firm points out.

Since many states have established rates that courts can charge for remote appearances, this onpremise solution allows courts to retain a larger percentage of those fees, rather than passing it all to an outside vendor.

While fairly new to the market, ATI and Sonexis have made important inroads to the market, and the word is spreading. VCourt establishes new benchmarks for user experience, return on investment and time-of-call functionality.

Contact information: Website: www.ati-connect.com email: sales@ati-connect.com Phone: 1.800.333-8394

Williams Sound has partnered with Courtroom 21 and Cisco Connected Justice solutions to provide integrated, state-of-the-art AV systems specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the courtroom market.

in Chicago, Superior Courts in California, and Harris County in Texas, the company relays. Williams Sound® has also partnered with Courtroom 21 and with the Cisco Connected Justice solutions to provide integrated, state-of-the-art AV systems specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the courtroom market.

Three primary services are offered: hearing assistance to meet accessibility requirements, language interpretation to meet DOJ Civil Rights requirements, and annotation products to assist with the presentation of evidence.

Hearing Assistance. Williams Sound® infrared products are the top choice for wireless hearing assistance to juries, witnesses, judges, and participants, they report.

Providing high quality sound directly to users while remaining within the courtroom or jury room ensures privacy and also permits the use of infrared systems in adjacent court-

rooms without risk of spillover.

Language Interpretation.

Infrared or Digi-Wave® wireless systems are used when interpretation is required for plaintiffs and defendants to understand a second language. Both systems permit multiple channels to be securely broadcast, carrying both original and interpreted speech. Listeners then select their language. Digi-Wave is completely portable, making it easy to move from room to room as needed.

Annotation. The Pointmaker™ products empower a presenter to focus audience attention by drawing or marking directly onto video, photographs, presentations or other evidentiary images.

Pointmaker products are well known for their use in the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial.

Contact information: Websites: www.williamssound.com www.pointmaker.com

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From Courtroom to Multi-courthouse Integration Visionality is an audio-visual integrator with over 30 years of experience. The firm has been involved with the audio-visual integration of multiple courthouses, the most noteworthy being Dallas County Courts and Denton County Courts in Texas. In both cases, Visionality consulted extensively with the end user to develop a system that would meet their specific needs. The systems were engineered to be cost effective, reliable and

user-friendly, they detail. To help reduce costs, existing cabling and equipment was used, when possible.

The systems were also designed so that any lawyer walking into the courtroom would be able to plug in their laptop or other devices and begin using the system to present.

In Dallas County, Visionality was involved with the audio-visual integration in the civil, criminal and juvenile courts. In the civil courts, Visionality used the existing audio system, and added annotation monitors, a projector, document cameras, digital video switching, and control panels at both the judge’s bench and the lawyer’s presentation area, with the judge’s touch panel

having the master control. In the criminal and juvenile courts, the same equipment was installed as in the civil courts, but new audio systems were installed with assisted listening devices. In the juvenile courts, video conferencing equipment was installed to keep witnesses who are minors secure.

In Denton County, the firm was involved with the audio-visual integration in both criminal and civil courts. The existing audio system was used, and Visionality added annotation monitors, digital video switching, control panels and document cameras. The company strives to design straightforward systems with economy in mind.

Contact Information: Website:www.visionality.com Email: info@visionality.com Phone: 1.214.276.0124

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Audio & Video from A to Z

JAVS Nimble is said to be a reliable, multi-channel audio recording option.

Every courtroom is unique, and no one understands this more than the team at Justice AV Solutions (JAVS).

They report that they’ve designed AV systems that adapt to nearly any courtroom situation. Whether it’s a fully-integrated audio/video recording solution; a small-to-medium audio-only setup; or a dependable, multi-channel, portable system, JAVS has American-designed and assembled components to meet your needs.

Their premier system features automatic voice-activated video switching, video conferencing integration, centrally controlled and configured microphones, LED recording/status indicators, and a suite of software tools to schedule, record, manage, store, and publish court proceedings. Integrate and control your public-address system, evidence presentation kiosks, projectors, displays, assistive listening, and more with intuitive controls and countless software options.

Need an audio-only setup, but thought JAVS was too expensive?

Give them another look. They’ve come out with some premium components at an extremely competitive price, they point out. Featuring the P412 AV processor and the P306

audio mixer, you’ll get a ton of options and integration along with the high-quality audio capture for which JAVS is known.

Let’s face it, justice administration doesn’t always happen in a stationary courtroom. If you need a reliable, multi-channel audio recording option, then put the JAVS Nimble on your list of considerations. Pair it with JAVS Notewise 3 recording software, and you’ll have six discreet recording channels with programmable push-button microphones and visual recording indicators.

JAVS stands behind all of its products with a dedicated U.S.based helpdesk, extended warranty options, and highly trained maintenance technicians.

Website: www.javs.com

All-in-one Evidence Presentation Package Nomad AV Systems manufactures and integrates turn-key evidence presentation solutions that combine audio, video and control in one centralized lectern. The LT series

standard system includes all the critical presentation equipment such as a document camera, Bose sound system, wired and wireless personal device connectivity and more. The firm says its broad menu of pre-tested add-ons allows you to tailor the solution to your specific needs.

Their full courtroom solutions include output displays for all court participants, audio infrastructure, video conferencing and remote control capabilities for judge override.

The company notes that Nomad AV presentation systems are the only solutions on the market that include: • “Try before you buy” on-site demos. This means potentially saving millions in untested, unreliable AV integrations.

• 5-year on-site warranty. This means you have assurance of full life-cycle support.

• 24/7 online video user manual.

Every Nomad AV presentation system is intuitively easy to use, but for users who want to use their system to its fullest potential, Nomad’s video user manual is tailored to match the specific configuration of their presentation system(s).

Contact Information Website: nomadAVsystems.com email: info@nomadavsystems.com Phone: 1.888.622.6565

The Nomad LT series offers a compact way to centralize and control all the a-v systems in the courtroom.

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BY DONNA ROG ERS , E D IT O R

Digitizing Customer-Facing Court Functions The latest interactive courthouse screens carry out digital check-ins, make virtual appointments, allow self-bail and release, take child support payments, and track community service hours.

61st District Court, Grand Rapids, Michigan In April the 61st District Court, Grand Rapids, Michigan, is rolling out a new kiosk implementation in which court supervisors use the MobileServe application. In this latest installment, probation supervisors will use two mobile tablet devices in the field to check people into and out of workcrew, without having to come back to the office to do paperwork, with expectations to allow clients to check themselves in in the future. The MobileServe app can be used to verify check-in for probation, community service, NA/AA meetings, or any type of service that needs validation of time.

The kiosk is pre-loaded with the service event for each person, and it makes it easy for staff to find the client and confirm they arrived, says Gary Secor, the court administrator.

In addition, if someone who is not registered shows up, staff can easily find them in the system and add them. “When staff checks clients into and out of workcrew, the data then feeds into a dashboard, which lets us track progress, monitor noshows, remind clients of their appointments, and easily lets us track and respond when people have hit their goals,” he details.

MobileServe, which can be used on any mobile device, tracks probationer check-in, community service hours, attendance at NA/AA meetings, and virtually any others.

One of the highlights of the app, Secor believes, is that it significantly reduces the paperwork involved with administering community service. “When we meet with clients,” he points out, “we can set their goals and schedule their times. The system then sends them reminders and notifies us of no-shows, which we can address with clients.

“This all tightens up the supervision process that helps people comply to their court stipulations, and keep on top of and perhaps prevent violations,” he furthers.

Each caseworker or court staff can view their own portal with their clients, and the data is further shared in real time so the court administrator can see the larger picture. Part of the purpose is to create a more efficient workflow. Secor

explains, “We are trying to maximize our resources, and we know that our staff is overworked. We believe this system will allow them to focus on the key pieces of their work by automating some of the administration.”

The technology is capable of being used on any Internet-ready device, but for now the court is currently testing it by limiting it to court staff, he notes.

In the future, the court administrator adds, there are options for us to let clients check themselves in or let our nonprofit partners easily verify their hours, without the need for us to personally follow up and without paper. In the end the court is expecting big things. “We hope we will save staff time and improve outcomes for our clients,” he says.

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Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Controller, Tampa The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Controller is housed in five judicial buildings across the county, including two in downtown Tampa. Several locations host kiosks from ACF Technologies, Inc. to assist walk-in traffic at the court buildings by checking constituents in, providing information, paying fines and fees, advanced check-in and making appointments.

In fact in 2016 Hillsborough County Clerk of Court Pat Frank was honored with a prestigious Florida Excellence Best Practices Award for a major restructuring that improved customer service, increased efficiency and enhanced communication at the Edgecomb Courthouse. This featured the new Customer Service Center, where the public can pay traffic citations, make child support payments, file civil suits and conduct numerous other transactions.

Paying a traffic fine is made very easy, says Pam Moll, Business Development with ACF. The user scans the ticket barcode and it will automatically connect them to the proper court personnel for payment or service. If the visitor doesn’t have their ticket available there are other points to enter the system, including scanning their driver’s license. The system will look it up and automatically categorize them into the proper court.

From there, they either go to a payment kiosk (handled by another vendor) or are directed to a waiting room with a paper ticket encoded with a number and code for the queuing system. Another option, if a customer chooses, they can enter their telephone number to receive a text when their turn is ready. (A neighboring county court estimates over 500,000 texts to be used on an

ACF wayfinding maps allow visitors to click on a kiosk map and receive clear, straightforward directions in both visual and text form.

annual basis.) Whether using a paper or virtual (text) ticket, the system then calls out the proper window they are to be serviced at in their language, Moll explains.

From a service point of view, the court can adjust their staffing according to how many are waiting for each service.

In addition, ACF wayfinding kiosks are located at the Hillsborough County Center, a 28story civic building, where visitors can click on a kiosk map and receive clear, straightforward directions in both visual and text form to many departments in the building, notes Moll. Some of the services provided with the wayfinding kiosk include digital signage on a number of floors, which keep the public informed of meeting rooms for public events like Historic Review Board, Zoning Hearings and others.

For many of ACF’s services, Clerk of the Court visitors can check in ahead and save themselves wait time by using ClerkExpress. This allows them to "get in line now," saving a person’s place in line as though they were already there (similar to call ahead seating at a restaurant) and cueing them in on how long the wait time is at the moment.

This can be done in advance from

anywhere—their cell, tablet or PC, anywhere with a browser, Moll details. They can check wait times on the website, and then have the choice to make an appointment— either for the same day, a future date, or choose to get an e-ticket, that will reserve a spot for them immediately. “That‘s pretty efficient,” she says.

Finally, as the visitor to the County Center is exiting the 19th floor after conducting their business at the Planning and Zoning department, a tablet strategically mounted on the wall asks them to complete a brief six-question survey. For their convenience, it can be forwarded to a text message so they can complete it on their phone.

Interactive Signage Installed at Municipal Courthouse “Interactive is the name of the game these days,” notes a blog from Visix, Inc. “With 68% of U.S. adults owning smartphones, and 45% owning tablets (2015 Pew Study), people are used to flicking, swiping and tapping to get the information they want….” Incorporating touchscreen displays with digital signage can make accessing information easier,

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Visix interactive wayfinding software can show destinations to courtrooms and a schedule of cases on the docket.

more interesting and more accessible, they add. “With interactive digital signage, your audience can sift through vast amounts of information but still choose only what’s relevant to them. You also save money on support staff and printing costs.”

To help visitors navigate the physical environment, courts can use interactive wayfinding options.

Visix notes their touchable maps give clear directions to anywhere the public might need to go–whether it’s an office in the building they’re in or in another court or office down the road. Adding a downloadable wayfinding app puts the directions right in their hands.

One of Visix’s municipal courthouse customers employs interactive, free-standing kiosks loaded with AxisTV Enterprise Software, a browser-based platform, and utilizes WAN/LAN and/or Internet access.

Its Digital Signage Software allows users to create dynamic content using different types of data inputs such as text, graphics, and event schedules for delivery on virtually any type of devices including flat panel/video wall displays, interactive room signs and web pages. The content manager system can be located on premise or be cloud based.

In this installation, interactive wayfinding is available on two displays placed inside the security area in the court’s lobby, as well as one on each floor outside of elevators.

These show destinations to courtrooms and a schedule of cases on

the docket.

Jill Perardi, creative services manager with Visix, describes what visitors see at the municipal courthouse.

“The floor maps are very clean, and for safety reasons show only the location of destinations the visitors can find without special security. So rooms like the jury waiting room, media room, courtrooms and U.S. Marshals office are displayed, but Judges’ chambers, private conference rooms, etc. are not.”

report, but they didn’t know how to get there, she notes. “To help, we created a 3D-mapping function that gives patrons step-by-step directions to their courthouse destinations.”

Courts also wanted to provide a digital check-in option to patrons arriving for court appointments or

Directories, Maps & Check-in Infax specializes in supplying courthouses with interactive signage and wayfinding. The company has offered kiosks to its clients for more than five years and currently has some 10 court clients with at least one installed SmartScreen, its interactive solution.

Visitors can use the touchscreen to find a wide range of pertinent information: frequently asked questions, directories, docket search, step-by-step directions and more. If the Court wants a check-in process implemented on the SmartScreen, “we can use the information gathered and aggregate it within our judicial user interface. The data collected can be kept in order to generate reports for a specified length of time or the information can be purged on a daily basis, whichever the client prefers,” Kristen Zeck, director of marketing, explains.

“We entered the court market with DocketCall®, our electronic docket display solution, almost 25 years ago because a court came to us for a solution to their wayfinding problem,” she furthers. “Similarly, SmartScreen came about because our court clients had problems without solutions. One problem in particular was that patrons were entering the courthouse and looking at docket monitors to see where to

The Infax SmartScreen is available in a choice of interactive panels or floorstanding kiosks.

jury duty. Using SmartScreen’s check-in feature, patrons simply use the touchscreen to complete check in and let court staff know they have arrived.

The overarching reason Infax SmartScreen was created, Zeck continues, is simply to help courts run as efficiently as possible. “Each SmartScreen kiosk is a one-stop shop for all of a court’s digital signage needs. The most common features our clients request are patron check-in, frequently asked questions, building directories and docket search.

“Our clients tell us that one of their favorite outcomes of implementing SmartScreens is how independent their patrons have become,” Zeck sums up. “In today’s world, people are more accustomed to consulting an electronic device for their needs instead of “inconveniencing” another person by asking for help. With SmartScreens, patrons can find answers to their questions and go forward in confidence.”

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District Court Probation Services Vancouver, Washington Back in 2011 the District Court Probation Services began utilizing interactive kiosks, which they acquired through grants. The devices, from SlabbKiosks, are now situated in five convenient strategic locations around the city for probationers to check in. This includes the Law Enforcement Center lobby, State Department of Corrections lobby, County Department of Public Health Center, Camas Municipal Court, and the Mabry Work Crew Center.

Intake and check in is a simple matter using the automated functions. Once a client is assigned to supervised release, he/she completes intake with a supervised release officer and registers for the program.

This includes the capturing of their

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biometric identifier, which currently is their finger vein pattern for use in checking into the kiosk. The client is required to report weekly by checking into the kiosk utilizing their finger vein pattern. The client then verifies their address and phone number, acknowledges their probation officer messages and directives, and they indicate whether they have had any changes to their legal or personal status. In addition, the client may pay fines and fees using the county web point-and-pay application on the kiosk.

Amber Emery, district court administrator, says the use of the kiosks has increased efficiencies and raises the level of information available to the supervised release officers.

Because of the purpose they serve, the displays are mostly installed in lobbies or outside elevators.

Emergency messaging displays— for showing emergency messaging, including CAP alerts from local and national sources. During an emergency, the alert (and subsequent safety instructions) will override the content on the screens. When not being used for emergency messaging, these displays can also be used to display court announcements and FAQs. Court announcements board— for displaying court announcements, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), and tips such as how to file a claim, etc. These displays will be in common areas, including the cafe and hallways.

Overall, the digital signage solu-

Four Types of Signage Mvix Digital Signage provides four types of digital signage solutions that empower courts to provide important court information and wayfinding data to courthouse visitors’ fingertips. These digital signs provide a platform for courts to display daily dockets, announcements, court guidelines and rules, news, staff or building directory, wayfinding maps, security instructions, traffic, news, check-in procedures, and even tips such as how to file a claim, notes Lillyan Wamaitha, marketing manager. These are their four main applications: Court dockets displays—shows up-to-date court dockets from any case management system. The screens show all cases for the day, organized by name, case number judge, courtroom, and time of hearing. These displays are typically installed in lobbies, waiting areas, and outside courtrooms.

Wayfinding & directory displays— for displaying 3D maps and building directories, i.e. directional signage.

Interactive kiosks can also be used for wayfinding and directory displays.

Mvix provides a platform for courts to display daily dockets, important announcements, court guidelines and rules, news, staff or building directory, wayfinding maps, security instructions, traffic, news, check-in procedures, and even tips such as how to file a claim.

tions for courts “improve efficiency, accessibility, and safety while decreasing frustration, stress, anxiety, late arrivals, and time spent giving or looking for directions,” Wamaitha points out. “In the end, they help justice facilities answer questions before they are asked and promote public trust.”

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Digitizing Customer-Facing Court Functions Maricopa County Jail, Arizona/Yamhill County Jail, Oregon

TouchPay Holdings’ comprehensive automated payment services for government agencies collects deposits, payments, and fees.

Beginning back in 2004, the founders of the company realized that a large number of people who need to make deposits and payments were unbanked or off the internet and cashier windows and manual payment processing are inevitably inefficient. Their initial product was a Lobby Kiosk designed for correctional facilities.

Today TouchPay kiosks have been expanded to courts and other government agencies, most often located in child support offices, DMVs and other high traffic government locations, courthouses and probation offices. “TouchPay has become the leading provider of automated payment solutions to child support agencies,” says Keith Benton, the director of Government Payments, “and also processes a lot of self-release payments, probation payments, and restitution and fees.

Some municipalities and other government agencies use TouchPay kiosks to process parking tickets and fines and fees.”

Self-Release/Self-Bail is a common payment option on TouchPay Lobby Kiosks and offering it is beneficial to the court, the facility, and inmates and their loved ones, according to the company. Rather than borrowing the bail amount from a bail bondsman and paying a fee of 10% or more for the service, with Self-Release the depositor only pays a low transaction fee for each deposit to the account and

TouchPay’s Lobby Kiosk offers comprehensive automated payment services for government agencies. It collects deposits, payments and fees, including child support and self-bail.

deposits accumulate to reach the amount set by the court. This enables several different people to contribute what they can toward bail.

Self-Release accounts are most prevalent in County Sheriff’s Offices because they detain both offenders and suspects. More than 60 TouchPay clients offer Self-Bail.

Examples include Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the five largest jails in the U.S. with an average daily population of more than 9,000, and Yamhill County Jail in Oregon, which houses less than 300 detainees. Both accept Self-Release payments using cash or credit and debit cards on the TouchPay Lobby Kiosks and with cards only on TouchPay’s countertop terminals, on the web, or with the toll-free phone system. Maricopa began providing the Self-Release option in 2015 but Yamhill was an early adopter in 2009.

In Oregon, the state does not allow “commercial” bail bonding, so the detainee must gather the funds needed in order to be released before trial and, according to Yamhill County, making selfrelease deposits at the Lobby Kiosk has been good for all parties. “We are a rural community and housing an offender is costly for taxpayers.

When we added the ability to take bail at the kiosk, deposits could be made at all hours, we decreased our administrative overhead, and lodging costs and liability were significantly reduced,” says Sheriff Tim Svenson of the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. CT