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October/November 2014
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Courts Today 69 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
Electronic Monitoring & Community Supervision
Vol. 12 No. 5
New Digital Features of Jury Management Systems
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with alternative & diversion programs
Publisher & Executive Editor Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher Jennifer Kapinos
O C TO B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 014
Editor Donna Rogers
VOLU M E 12 N U M B E R 5
Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Bill Schiffner G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason
F EATU R E S
Art Director Jamie Stroud Marketing Representatives Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472 Ben Skidmore (972) 587-9064 Art Sylvie (480) 816-3448 Kristie Thymes (972) 782-9841 Peggy Virgadamo (718) 456-7329
4 American Judges Association
Software & Services Roundup
10 The Watchers: Electronic
Monitoring & Community Supervision
16 New Digital Features of
Jury Management Systems
10
with alternative & diversion programs
22 Cost-efficient Video Conferencing
is published bi-monthly by: Criminal Justice Media, Inc PO Box 213 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310.374.2700
27 2014 Directory & Reference Guide 35 Audio Visual Courtrooms
Send address changes to: COURTS TODAY 69 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 or fax (603) 643-6551
DE PARTM E NTS
38 Ad Index
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B Y B I L L S C H I F F N E R , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T OR
THE GOLDEN NUGGET in Las Vegas played host to this year’s American Judges Association (AJA) Annual Conference held from October 5-10. The theme for the 2014 edition was “New Strategies for Old Challenges: Presenting the Best Judicial Practices Developed by Judges.” A number of the sessions focused on programs developed in courts across the U.S. and Canada to address specific issues and needs, such as veterans courts, access to courts for people with disabilities, Do It Yourself Victim Impact Panels
and a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder project being conducted in Manitoba. The conference also offered over 15 hours of educational programs, all designed to further their goal of “Making Better Judges.” “I always look forward each year to AJA conferences and the opportunity to attend fascinating educational sessions on a variety of topics of significant interest to trial and appellate judges of every experience,” commented AJA president Elliott Zide. “Just as important, this year’s conference provided an exciting atmosphere to gather with old friends and meet new ones. AJA has
a well-earned reputation for creating invaluable networking opportunities for spending quality time with colleagues from across the United States and Canada,” he added. Attendees also had the opportunity to check out the ever-popular review of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2012-2013 term by Professor Erwin Chemerinsky. In addition, a variety of companies had on display their products and services, which gave courtroom professionals a chance to sample the latest technology and concepts available to assist judges and their courts.
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Online Solutions
Decisia is an online service from Lexum for decision-making bodies wishing to provide easy and professional access to their decisions from their own website, intranet and extranet. Courts, boards, tribunals
and agencies use Decisia to manage and self-publish their decisions and other related documents. Decisia powers their public websites, subscription services, or simply meets internal access needs. https://lexum.com/en/products/decisia, 1.855.316.2100
Case Management Software
Dynamic Caseflow Management is at the heart of CourtView's JWorks solution, helping courts stay on time and on track from initial filing through final case compliance. Based on the court’s rules, policies, and procedures, JWorks automatically sets all anticipated milestones,
activities, and deadlines, and assigns the work to teams or individuals accordingly. JWorks automates processes completely, freeing up staff to focus on specific issues like conflicts or non-compliance resolution. Judges can easily view their caseload, docket, and matters requiring action—whether motions, draft orders, or other critical items. www.courtview.com, 1.800.406.4333
Video Conferencing
CourtCall is an organized and voluntary way for lawyers to make a
telephonically and/or video appearance from their office, homes or other convenient locations. CourtCall appearances are suitable
for virtually any appearance or judicial assignment and are particularly well suited for status conferences, motions, case management conferences and trial setting conferences. www.courtcall.com, 1.888.882.6878
Digital Evidence Technology
FTR combines forward-thinking and cutting-edge technology to improve the way in which consumers of the court record connect. From proprietary software solutions
to advanced cloud technology, its innovations offer flexible, cost-effective and intuitive ways of meeting customers’ goals while adding significant value to their environments. www.fortherecord.com, 1.877.650.0958
Information Displays
CourtSight’s JuryCall solution integrates with jury management systems to automate the jury selection process for each individual that has been summoned for jury duty. By using JuryCall, patrons can find their name and where they are to appear. Also, while patrons wait in the jury assembly area, large displays can
show a judge’s message, live news feeds or other court information. www.infax.com, 1.770.209.9925
AV Solutions for the Courtroom
From protecting individuals’ water rights in Africa to ensuring verbatim trial records in Kentucky, JAVS recording technology empowers the due process of law for everyone. With over 30 years of courtroom recording experience, JAVS focuses on creating AV delivery and
recording solutions to meet the demands of hearing rooms and courtrooms. From public address to remote arraignment to open source access of recordings, JAVS promotes truth and accuracy. www.javs.com, 1.844.300.JAVS
Paper-free Software Solution
Mentis showed aiSMARTBENCH, its decision support system for judges. This web-enabled solution is transforming the courtroom with
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efficiencies that exceed the current paper processes. Connecting with any CMS/DMS, aiSMARTBENCH aggregates case data and the full-text indexes of each case document creating a powerful retrieval and decision-making tool. www.mentistechnology.com, 1.866.244.6339
e-filing Software
Tybera is a market leader in providing electronic filing software to courts, attorneys, and government agencies. More courts are realizing the savings of time and money that eFlex brings through reduced manual data entry and automated workflow. With support for both the software license model and the attorney pays model, courts are offered even more value through new features like document generation and
CASEaDia PDF binders for judges. www.tybera.com, 1.801.226.2746
Child Care Custody Solution
Web solution OurFamilyWizard establishes accountable co-parent communication while providing practitioners with full access to the family's activity. Mobile iPhone and Android applications make collaboration easy and low conflict. Use is often mandated for parents in high conflict cases. www.ourfamilywizard.com, 1.866.755.9991
Court Reporting
The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) is a national membership organization providing education and certification for professionals engaged in digital court
reporting, transcribing, and associated roles. AAERT offers networking opportunities for its members and promotes public awareness about the value of digital reporting. www.aaert.org, 1.800.233.5306
Insurance Coverage
Complete Equity Markets designs, develops and administers insurance programs for professionals, associations, businesses and individuals. In addition to manuscripted casualty coverages, which comprise the company's most important product line, standard property/casualty products, group life and health, standard personal lines coverage and financial services are also offered. As innovators, they cover areas of risk that have emerged as a result of our everchanging economy and society. http://www.cemins.com, 1.800.323.6234
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B Y M I C H A E L G R O H S , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I TOR
The Watchers New waves of technology help probation and parole officers stay on top of their caseloads.
On
June 6, 1986, a convicted felon in Massachusetts named Willie Horton, who was serving a life sentence without the possibility for parole for murder, was released as part of a weekend furlough program by then governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis who thought the program was a step toward rehabilitation. But Horton did not come back. The following April, he viciously assaulted two people, stole their car and later, after a pursuit, was shot and captured by an officer at the Prince George's County, Maryland, Police
Department. He was sentenced to two life sentences plus 85 years. The tragic events became a political fiasco, and Dukakis’s hopes for the presidency ended. The program was abolished in April 1988. No one wants dangerous criminals on the street, yet ironically the land of the free has the largest prison population in the world. Russia, Mexico, and England combined have a similar population as the U.S., yet have only half as many prisoners. As Jeff Milner, V.P of sales and marketing at Lexington, Kentucky-based Corrisoft notes, some states—Indiana, for exam-
ple—have made changes to the law and now instead of four classifications of felonies there are six. That could mean more offenders serving their time in the community, and with supervisors already being tasked with monitoring in some cases hundreds of parolees, the questions of safety and recidivism naturally arise. As Steve Logan, managing director of STOP, LLC explains, about 10 years ago there was a push to find alternatives to incarceration for both low-risk offenders as well as people who are not locked up but still require supervision, particularly sex
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offenders and gang members. There have been three technological waves of these alternatives. The first wave was RF, a dualpiece device that did not track the actual offender; it tracked the box he or she was carrying. If that person dropped the box, an alert was sent to the agency. For the agency, it was a lot of work to check up on the person only to find out that he or she was in the bathroom or stepped into the backyard to let the dog out. For the legislature, it was a concern about how comfortable they could feel. Says Logan, “It happened all the time.” There were a few concerns with RF that were mostly alleviated by the second wave: GPS and cell phones. For low-level offenders—as is largely the policy for use by agencies—there is a cost effective method to monitor
With software called Automated Crime Scene Correlation (ACSC) and STOP’s VeriTracks™ system, local counties can set crime data (time, location). It will then be matched with those in the GPS tracking system. The software is given to law enforcement at no cost.
offenders. ShadowTrack offers a multi-factor verification system that uses voice biometrics. Among the benefits is that there is no equipment. It is all conducted over the phone whereby they track offenders through GPS and voice recognition and verification. A generally available feature today, it can send instant or scheduled notifications to a probation officer via text message, email, or voice. Robert Magaletto, CEO and president, points out the benefits to using this technology. It is cost effective because there is no equipment to be used, installed, delivered, or maintained. A smartphone is not needed. Any cell phone from a major carrier is compatible with the technology. For agencies struggling with budget constraints, there is also the option of using the participant pay option, which collects the
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GPS allows on-demand pings so the person monitoring the offender can verify that the person is indeed stuck in traffic on the bridge and not sitting in a bar or in a neighborhood in which he is not allowed to be.
supervision fees directly from the participant. There is also the convenience of not having the band too loose or too tight, having a reaction to the band, losing it, or getting rearrested in which case they might throw it away. There is, he points out, also the stigma of wearing a bracelet of anklet. It begins by the offender acknowledging that they are being
tracked and opting into the service with the option of opting out at any time. (ShadowTrack has a contract with all of the cell phone providers.) The way it works is by first using two pings. The first is the GPS ping. The second is the tower ping (cellular triangulation). There are also calls during curfew hours. If a judge says that an offender has to be home between 6pm and 6am, an
undisclosed amount of calls will randomly come in. Each call includes verification and a question that the probation officer types into the system, which then converts it to speech. The patented voice verification engine, called ArmorVox,™ can verify the voice and understand what it’s saying without using voice recognition (verification and recognition can be done together). Not only will the engine know what is being said, it will know if it is correct, so if the offender is asked to state, “One, two, three, four” but actually says, “One, two, three, five,” the engine will recognize that the answer was incorrect. ArmorVox is also language, accent, and dialect independent. Dialects, says Magaletto, were among the biggest challenges they faced. Now they can monitor in any language. The biometric technology is very sensitive and can also alert the agency of suspected substance use, and the client can then be ordered to a drug testing facility for confirmation. Each call offers the offender the option of opting out. When asked how often anyone choses to opt out of a program that sounds much more preferable than incarceration, Magaletto said, “It’s only happened once, and it was by accident.” GPS has resolved three of the main issues found in the first wave of community supervision. As Logan says, there was the matter of labor and overtime. In order to ensure that the box was set up at the offender’s house rather than, say, his girlfriend’s, it had to be physically witnessed by the supervisor. There was also the matter of physically checking in as well as the fact that if an offender was late for curfew for an innocuous reason such as being stuck on the bridge in traffic, there was no real way to verify it. With devices such as STOP’s Blu+, an RF replacement that offers limited GPS capabilities, the offender
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With STOP’s Blu+, an RF replacement that offers limited GPS capabilities, the offender plugs in the box and the GPS will activate and verify that it is indeed where it supposed to be. It also has a check-in function to use during the day.
Something innocent such as walking into a building can lose the signal and create a motion no GPS alert. There are also jammers, which, despite being illegal, can be purchased on Amazon. There is a bit of cat-and-mouse involved in the matter, and STOP has developed the technology so that the device will detect when it is being blocked or if a signal is being jammed. (It detects noise.) GPS is a great tool, notes Logan, but it is a tool. It is not a cure-all for everything. The third wave, Milner of Corrisoft says, is occurring now. While GPS is a great tool, Corrisoft has taken a holistic approach to community supervision and safety. Their mission is to “re-imagine and redefine the use of technology and services to improve community supervision and the quality of life of those we serve.” (Their motto is “High tech. High touch.”) The AIR Integrated system is designed to make the community supervision process much more efficient for law enforcement and corrections supervisors, and to make available all of the tools an offender will need to truly turn their lives around. This third wave, says Milner, takes the process of monitoring beyond “dots on a map” and focuses on factors such as reentry, employment, and behavioral
plugs in the box and the GPS will activate and verify that it is indeed where it supposed to be. It also has a check-in function to use during the day. This can be programmed to check in at various times to ensure the offender is at work at noon or at an AA meeting at eight and so forth. The third RF issue is also resolved with devices such as this because it allows on-demand pings so the person monitoring the offender can verify that the person is indeed stuck in traffic on the bridge and not sitting in a bar or in a neighborhood which is off limits. One might think that the idea of being monitored would be a deterrent for committing another crime, but that is not always the case. With software called Automated Crime Scene Correlation (ACSC) and STOP’s VeriTracks™ system, local counties can set crime data (time, location). It will then be matched with those in the GPS tracking system. Police can program the system to drop the data every night thus matching it to offenders being monitored and turning GPS into a criminal justice system. The benefits are twofold: it can catch criminals—sometimes at the scene—and it can also give innocent people an alibi. The company gives ACSC to law enforcement at no cost. California, notes Logan, has had a great deal of success with it. If there are people willing to commit crimes while wearing a GPS, there will certainly be people trying to circumvent the device. Wrapping the GPS in foil can block the signal, which is faint to begin with. (It has to be, or else it will interfere with communications.) October/November 2014x WWW.COURTSTODAY.COM
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health. Rather than zeroing in solely on monitoring, the program also focuses on accountability and support. To do this, he says, “We have to attack where the recidivism pain points are.” Some of those pain points include substance abuse, mental health, employment, education, and housing, and the statistics they cite are striking. More than half of individuals without gainful employment end up re-offending, so “securing jobs for our participants is paramount.” AIR offers their participants customizable job searches and support throughout the search and hiring process. Half of offenders with mental illness are rearrested not for committing crimes, but for not being able to comply with the terms of their probation or parole. AIR includes a treatment program to combat those incidents and get the participant the attention they need. Between a third and half of those released are considered homeless, so Corrisoft works with housing partners to keep participants off the street. The Supervisor Dashboard is a virtual headquarters built on cloudbased technology. It can be accessed from any computer and supervisors can check on any participant at any time. Supervisors can notify a participant of a drug test, court appearance, or warn them that they are approaching an area in which they are not allowed to be. In fact, the process is being developed that will allow then to conduct a drug test through the phone. From a smartphone, a supervisor can view a participant’s boundary alerts and alert history, participant profiles, participant locations, participant terms, participant movement, set or update calendar events, and correspond with the AIR support call center. This allows the supervisor to be much more proactive, and he or she could call a participant and remind him or her that they
This third wave takes the process of monitoring beyond “dots on a map” and focuses on factors such as reentry, employment, and behavioral health. Rather than zeroing in solely on monitoring, the program also focuses on accountability and support. —JEFF MILNOR
have to be at an appearance in 45 minutes, yet they are still half an hour away. They have found, says Milner, that those proactive measures help enormously. For the participant, it feels as if they have someone in their court. GovLab, a think-tank in the Deloitte Federal practice, wrote in their 2013 Beyond the Bars: A New Model of Virtual Incarceration for LowRisk-Offenders the way technologies can incorporate important elements of effective programs into more comprehensive systems. Advanced analytics tools are already being used in certain areas. In 2010, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice began using predictive analytics to determine which offenders would most
likely reoffend based on such factors as past offenses, gang affiliation, home environment and peer associations. Oregon also uses analytics to match offenders with the programs that have been proven most effective. Says the report, “Using data analytics in this way can help mitigate risk to society from virtual incarceration while pairing offenders with interventions most likely to support their rehabilitation.” The report furthered that even if such a hands-on approach to using mobile technology were to cost as much as 50% more than the most expensive existing monitoring program, it would still cost half of what it does to house, feed and monitor an inmate inside prison walls.
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Jury Management Systems
BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
More and More they are tapping into the digital world, including social Media and Mobile a p p s .
Digital features are continually added to Jury Management Systems to hone best practices and services in the quest of saving time and money—while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the jury pool. These jury management tools automate processes, increase the
return rate of summoned jurors, ease their entry into the courthouse and courtroom, and finalize their completion of duty, all the while meeting the court’s ultimate need: a consistent, viable source of jurors for trials. As mobile technology becomes a larger part of our lives, one way to serve both the court and the juror is offering an app, says Tessa Prophet, marketing and sales specialist, Jury Systems Incorporated. She quotes a report by the Pew Research Center: As of September 2013, 91 percent of Americans own a cell phone, and 57 percent are adult cell Internet users. “By engaging the jurors via the JURY+ Mobile App, it makes showing up for jury duty even easier, therefore potentially raising the summoning yield.” Also the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project states: As of December 2013 some 73 percent of online adult Internet users say they use a social networking site such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. This number has more than doubled since 2008, when it was at 29 percent. Fully 63% of Facebook users report going on the site at least daily (with 40% logging on multiple times
per day), giving it not only the highest overall percentage of users, but also the most engaged. “If jury offices were allowed to set up Facebook and Twitter business profiles, it would be a simple and free way for them to communicate with their prospective jurors regarding reporting status, court holidays, closings, weather concerns, etc.,” Prophet notes. “Some forwardthinking courts have been doing this for years, while others are much more hesitant to jump on the social media train.” Courts are interested in jumping on board when it comes to the browser-based world, she furthers. “Our new browser-based core application, JURY+ Web Generation, uses the same business rules, functionality, and elements we applied in both our core DOS and Windows JMS systems. The flexibility and configuration capacity of JURY+ applications and API allows any outside application to interface with JURY+ if the CMS supports the interface capability on their side. Software as a Service (SaaS) models also seem to be trending in certain court systems” available with the JURY+ Cloud model.
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“The public is increasingly used to interacting with businesses via the Internet and online, and these ‘digital citizens’ want to interact with the court the same way,” states Michael Kleiman, director of marketing, Courts & Justice Division, Tyler Technologies. One way to reach them and save time and money is online empanelment. Odyssey Jury provides an online portal where jurors complete the initial response card, request rescheduling or excusals that are automatically approved or sent to a clerk using workflow and task management features. The juror receives notification via e-mail or SMS text message. When not responding online, integrated document management allows scanning of response cards and automatic attachment to the juror via barcode. In a courtwide cost effort, jury solutions are designed to share information with case management and e-filing systems, as well as systems for the prosecutor and jail. “A key challenge for courts is to lower the cost of summoning jurors,” adds Kleiman. “This is a particular challenge with an increasingly mobile jury pool where, according the U.S. Census Bureau, 14 percent move annually.” Odyssey Jury integrates with the National Change of Address Registry to validate addresses. Again tying into public records, Sue Humphreys, director, Industry Solutions, CourtView Justice Solutions, says JuryTRAC is a jury selection/ management system that assists courts with the juror process from compiling lists to payment and follow-up. “Potential jury pools are kept up-to-date because JuryTRAC imports local voter registration records and state driver’s license files directly into the application. From this pool list, JuryTRAC randomly selects potential jurors and places them into interim pools or directly into a panel per a judge’s request.” With JuryTRAC, courts can gener-
ate summons and questionnaires for potential jurors and manage all document requests, excusals, and summons day attendance from within the application. Email integration facilitates communication to jurors on a more frequent basis with daily reminders, direct communication of cancellations, and more. Juror check-in uses bar codes to simplify data entry. With direct integration to the
Jury Systems Incorporated’s online juror response JURY+ Web Solution and mobile app.
Email or print notices and reports directly from CourtView Justice Solutions’ JuryTRAC. Simply right click for deferrals, moves, and removal of jurors.
NCSC Jury Toolbox, courts can generate state-required statistical information directly from the application. For financial management JuryTRAC generates payment journals, vouchers, payment data extracts, and juror checks. For additional options in payment, Xerox offers the Way2Go Card payment disbursement program using branded debit cards to pay jurors using a variety of disbursement options including kiosk, mail, and Infax Inc.’s more, says Keith Robinson, product JuryCall integrates with manager, Xerox. CMS and JMS. The company manages enrollment, card issuance, PIN selection, account setup and verification, transaction proOkaloosa County, Fla., has increased its jury yield by 15 percent over five years since using Courthouse Technologies’ JMS. October/November 2014x
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Phoenix Kiosk Inc.’s juror check-in kiosk.
cessing, and offers customer service for issues and questions. “If your court prefers on-site jury duty payments, the program offers the ability to offer a Way2Go Card instantly. By electing instant issue, you can offer cardholders immediate access to funds on-site.” Xerox’s AgileJury mobile tablet applications provide initial juror check in, tracking jurors as they report to courtrooms and recording any AWOL jurors. The empanelment application records empanelment results and seats jurors in real time. “Additionally,” Robinson continues, “we offer the integrated Juror InfoScan system that not only speeds up, but revolutionizes, the way juror qualification questionnaires are scanned and processed.” And the Jury Display system provides the ability to display juror and
wayfaring information. AgileJury is compatible with CMS systems using either an Oracle or SQL Server database. “Our AgileJury solution, along with our ancillary offerings like Print & Mail, eJuror (IWR), mobile apps and kiosks, were designed to make jury service efficient and more cost effective.” “There are a number of new technologies that help jury services with limited resources manage jurors,” notes Dean Goddette, project manager with Jury Systems, Sonant Corp. “It’s important to provide multiple coordinated methods to manage jury groups, to gather information from or for information to be sent to jury groups.” He adds, “Beyond the standard Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and web page, the IVR system can push notifications to groups of jurors through phone calls, text mes-
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saging and emails.” Looking at the big picture, the challenges facing courts have not changed much over the years, says Goddette, “Judges want qualified jurors, on time. But what has changed is that jury services staff is limited these days making this basic need sometimes difficult to fulfill.” With continually increasing caseloads, reduced budgets and the trend to “One day/One trial” scheduling, the courts have to communicate with more jurors, he says, and do it more efficiently. “Sonant has developed a specialized jury group reporting and notification system that has contributed to an amazing drop in juror no shows for a number of courts,” Goddette says. CourtTalk Jury, part of Sonant’s family of court contact automation products, is designed to provide better public support while
reducing court operating costs. In operating costs reduction, selfservice functionality via the web and kiosks are quickly becoming the standard in jury management, says John Arntsen, VP, Client Services, Courthouse Technologies, Ltd. The company offers a mobile jury solution that works on any wireless device, allowing court personnel to take their system wherever they go in the courthouse. “The biggest challenge for courts came after the financial crisis,” he notes. “They are trying to provide better service with more technology but have less staff to meet the demand. We are the company that offers the notion that ‘the more efficient you get, the less expensive your jury system costs should be.’” The Courthouse Refund Program affirms: If you mail out less sum-
Tyler Technologies’ Odyssey Jury Manager integrates with CMS, e-filing, and prosecutor/prison systems.
monses or questionnaires than the number you approximated, you get the difference back. Because Courthouse JMS is a web-based application, it can be integrated via web services to other systems, says Arntsen. “In the end, jury management is a stand-alone operation. Integration with a case management system is possible but is not as beneficial as integration with a financial system.” In this way he cites, “There are many instances of our clients saving time and
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money: Macomb County cut their questionnaire and summons mailing by 45 percent in one year; Tarrant County, Texas, saved over $175,000 in three years.” As for new standards in integration, Heath Rosenstein, director of Sales and Marketing, Judicial Systems Inc., relates, “QR codes, smart device compatibility, and texting are trending in the jury industry.” QR codes allow potential jurors access to a smart device website that allows access to qualification questionnaires, jury summons information, the ability to request deferrals or excuses and information. And, “our newest product, mJuror, allows potential jurors the ability to interact with the jury process via texting.” Rosenstein notes many courts don’t send out qualifications but only send summons, which is a tremendous cost. Judicial Systems, Inc. uses postcards to qualify jurors or allows them to complete a questionnaire by phone, Internet or texting. “With our Jury Management Suite of Products, the day before you are able to adjust the number of potential jurors asked
to report to only reflect the number currently needed.” While it is a standalone system, the Interactive Voir Dire Manager Module integrates with any case management system to upload juror/case information. “Not every courthouse is the same; we understand this,” says Maddie Alexander, director of Judicial Sales, Infax, Inc. JuryCall is a new product in the CourtSight Suite, an electronic jury display system. Monitors are installed in the jury assembly area and inform potential jurors of locations and times. “The results of our 2013 current client survey speak volumes for our products: 98 percent of our current clients responded that the Infax system increased the patron flow efficiency of their courthouse, saving them time throughout their day. We are consistently thinking of new ideas to save the courts money.” JuryCall integrates with all jury management system providers and shows the data in real time. “We integrate with a plethora of case management systems, jury management systems, audio visual systems
and emergency alert systems all over North America,” she says. “Phoenix Kiosk has developed integrations to top juror check-in platforms and we will continue to develop additional integrations as required by our clients,” states Cory Sloan, sales manager, Phoenix Kiosk. Self-service implementations aim to reduce the staff required to interact with the jury check-in, check-out, attendance and payment functions through automation. “Self-service kiosks also improve the juror experience with a quicker, less cumbersome check-in/out process through proper user interface design and integration with existing juror management systems,” Sloan says. “With the right number of self-service kiosks for your juror flow…you could save a few full-time employees’ salaries, easily justifying the upfront kiosk and implementation costs, and move those staff to other positions within the court to benefit your justice system as a whole while also providing jurors with a much more frustration-free process.”
JMs tools in brief COURTHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES — Courthouse JMS is the core jury management system; peripheral products include: Courthouse SummonsDirect, a printing, mailing, address verification service; public-facing self-service functions via the web (Courthouse eResponse); phone (Courthouse IVR); and kiosks (Courthouse Kiosk); summons imaging capabilities using optical mark recognition in Courthouse IDS; electronic jury payment via Courthouse ePay; juror cash-payments with cash-dispensing kiosks; texting with Courthouse SMS (short message service); and system hosting with Courthouse Cloud. www.betterjurymanagement.com or 1.800.877.685.2199 COURTVIEW JUSTICE SOLUTIONS — JuryTRAC assists with the juror process from compiling lists to post-trial payment and follow-up. The automated/integrated application adapts to the court’s rules for jury selection/administration. Potential jury pools are updated through voter
registration and driver’s license files imported into the application. JuryTRAC randomly selects potential jurors for interim pools or panel. www.courtview.com or 1.800.406.4333 JUDICIAL SYSTEMS, INC. — Multiple offerings include the mobile ready Internet iJuror, the JIMS (Juror Information Management System) IVR, Digital Scanning, the Jury2014Plus Jury System and the mJuror texting module with NLP (Natural Language Processing) understanding common language and slang. The mJuror interacts with Jurors the same as SIRI (iPhone). www.judicialsystems.com or 1.800.205.4068 JURY SYSTEMS INCORPORATED — Besides JMS, a suite of modules available: online juror response, a mobile application, IVR, SMS interactive and reminder notifications, OCR, juror check-in, SaaS, juror payment, database
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cleansing and management, and an API that integrates with external applications. Former jury managers on staff provide business consulting and operations analysis services. www.jurysystems.com or 805.285.5800
check-in/out, attendance and payment and integration with existing juror management systems. www.phoenixkiosk.com or 1.877.872.2030
I NFAX I NC . — JuryCall displays potential juror name, badge number, panel number and visual paging of patron. The monitors can show TV, videos, news and social media feeds. JuryCall integrates with case management, jury management, audio visual and emergency alert systems. www.infax.com or 770.209.9925
S ONANT C ORP . — CourtTalk Jury offers automated obtainment of juror information and self-processing changes 24/7 with the majority of juror contacts completed without assistance from staff. CourtTalk Jury supports jurors’ needs from receiving summons until service completion and payment. Frequently-asked questions available via phone. www.sonant.com or 1.800.929.2920
PHOENIX KIOSK INC. — Custom juror check-in kiosks available in freestanding, wall and desk mount; can be outfitted with badge printers, juror attendance printers, check printers and other client-specified devices. Self-service implementations include
TYLER TECHNOLOGIES — Odyssey Jury Manager is designed to integrate with Odyssey Case Manager, Odyssey Attorney Manager, Odyssey Jail Manager and Odyssey File and Serve, thereby automating processes, eliminating duplicate data
entry, reducing errors and increasing efficiency. Features: Barcode Checkin, Forms Creator, Ad-hoc and Custom Reporting, Jury Master List Import, random or sequential selection from Master List. www.tylertech.com or 1.800.431.5776 XEROX — The AgileJury Solution is the flagship jury management product; additional offerings: Print and Mail services including CorrectAddress and Delivery Point Verification with National Change of Address verification; Integrated Web Response (IWR) Xerox eJuror; Integrated Voice Response (IVR), integrated Jury Kiosk System; integrated Juror InfoScan system; Jury Display system; the Way2Go Card payment program using debit cards with optional disbursement options. www.xerox.com/justice or 1.800.772.0597
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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR
A judge conducts a remote hearing in safety with Cisco conferencing tools.
Judicial video conferencing is trending for uses such as arraignments and hearings, drug courts, court interpreters and probation offices. ver the past decade, video conferencing has proven to be an effective way to save costs in transportation of prisoners—diminishing not only correctional/sheriff staff costs but fleet and fuel costs. But costs are not the only efficiency that video teleconferencing offers. Because of the time sensitive nature of arraignment statutes—they typically need to be held within 24 hours of arrest—they also provide a way for judges and prisoners to meet conveniently even on weekends and in the midst of a snowstorm—
O
24/7/365. Conferencing provides a further security benefit to staff, sheriffs’ deputies and the public in that the inmate does not have to be taken outside the secure perimeter of the detention facility, thus eliminating a possible altercation either en route or within the courthouse, or sidestepping possible retribution attempts by an irate public in response to a particularly egregious crime. We take a new look at video arraignment and remote appearance to see what the most widespread ways courts are using the application today; hurdles it may need to
surmount and technological issues court administrators should be aware of in considering such equipment for their court. First of all, an increasing number of courts are using video conferencing widely throughout their networks. For example, the state of Nebraska has established over 300 current user accounts in the courts, according to Ann Alden, Supreme Court Justice Business Analyst in a Sept. 9 article in MyWayneNews.com. User accounts have also been established at most of the larger detention centers across the state, all of the 93 county courts and many of the district
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courts, drug courts, court interpreters, probation offices, mediation centers, some sheriff’s offices. Additionally, several attorneys, including prosecutors, public defenders, and some private practice attorneys, as well as, several judges have been given their own accounts. The system can be used on personal computers and iPads.
Expanded Uses
In Nebraska, video is allowed by statute for all cases except trials, when the appearance of a detainee or prisoner is required in any court at a non-evidentiary criminal proceeding, according to the article. Video conferencing can be used for several types of criminal proceedings, some civil proceedings, some juvenile proceedings, and some guardianship/conservatorship hear-
ings. Probation, as part of the Judicial Branch, is also connected via video and can conduct business remotely as well. A good provider has systems that do various applications and is simple to use. One leading provider is Cisco Systems, Inc., which has a number of videoconferencing and TelePresence solutions for the public safety markets that are included in its Cisco Connected Justice™ program, according to Boyd Patterson, former judge and subject matter expert with the company. Its solutions include Video Remote Interpretation, Video Remote Arraignment, Video Visitation and a variety of other public safety applications. Cisco Connected Justice is an umbrella program designed to connect not only courts, but also law enforcement and corrections agencies. The main goal is to improve collaboration between local, state and federal agencies and offices by leveraging real-time video communications to more effectively administer justice at every phase of the judicial process. The application of videoconferencing in courts is extensive and meets a broad range of application needs, says the company. Video can be used in familiar scenarios such as video arraignment and video remote interpretation, as well as other applications, such as attorney-client contact, remote testimony, training and education. Once deployed, a Cisco Connected Justice solution can be reused to support any number applications requiring video and TelePresence collaboration. Cisco, a partner of Global Tel Link, provides the network infrastructure and the video conferencing hardware for these applications. GTL, which acquired Renovo Software in July 2014 because of its expertise in video visitation, distance learning, telemedicine and scheduling within judicial networks, provides
the application software that schedules and automates the connections for these applications, according to Tim Eickhoff, co-founder of Renovo and now VP, Business Development & Alternate Channels, GTL. He notes: “GTL has two different solutions for Court applications. VisManager and VideoScheduler offer slightly different functionality depending on the court’s specific needs and workflow.” Both VisManager and VideoScheduler provide a browser-based scheduling interface for court and/or hearing schedulers. These solutions also provide the automation of the videoconferencing technology, so there is no need for lay persons to understand how to make video connections. The solutions also provide reporting capabilities for administrators to pull utilization reports. GTL’s solutions are fully compatible with standards-based videoconferencing manufacturers like Cisco and Polycom, he points out. GTL solutions are being used for a variety of typical justice applications: hearing scheduling, courtroom arraignments, language interpretation, lawyer visits, video conferencing amongst judicial offices and probation/parole visits. Customers include the Orange County (Calif.) Circuit Court, Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the Ontario Justice Network. “Our experience with the Circuit Courts is that the primary use of videoconferencing is for video arraignment and first appearances,” notes Michael E. Black, vice president with full service system integrator, Strike Industries, Inc. He says their aim is to utilize available technologies to meet the specific needs of the client in their specific environment. Some solutions are as simple as a video enabled laptop on the judge’s bench and simple video enabled PC on the jail side for those being arraigned. In other instances,
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its solutions involve entire courtroom camera and display configurations with vandal-resistant configurations for the jail side. The company provides open standardsbased videoconferencing equipment/software from a number of manufacturers including but not limited to Polycom, Avaya, Cisco, ClearOne, Sony, and Lifesize, just to name a few, details Black.
Unique capabilities
In addition to cost savings, video conferencing is used for time efficiency, as noted the first appearance and arraignment process in most states at the Circuit Court Level must occur within 24 hours of an arrest. For medium to large county jail locations where the arrest rate is medium to high, the video arraignment process moves very quickly with most arraignments/first appearances taking less than 2-3 minutes to conclude on average, notes Black. However, our experience is that the court can gain all the previously outlined savings in cost and time “so long as the system is reliable,” stresses Black. In the Circuit Courts, first appearances happen at a minimum once a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, he furthers. If the equipment or supporting infrastructure is not reliable then the courts have to revert back to moving inmates or judges going to the jail to meet the “arraignment within 24 hours of arrest” requirement. If the judges do not feel that they have a high quality, reliable service they will demand the inmates be brought to the courthouse, he says. It should be noted, he adds, that the Circuit Court judges who conduct the video arraignment process are also trial judges with many duties other than arraignment. “A smooth-running arraignment process is essential to their schedule.” Service requests are a norm with any technology, especially in a jail environment, he says. Therefore, “good local, responsive service plays an important role in this type of technology acceptance.” GTL, the communications and application software vendor, can also work with a variety of open standards video conferencing equipment. “GTL’s unique ability to schedule, automate and manage a variety of different videoconferencing manufacturers provides its customers with investment protection,” says Eickhoff. GTL currently works with video conferencing equipment from Cisco, Polycom, Vidyo, Lifesize, Codian, Tandberg and Radvision. GTL also offers other unique advantages, he continues. Its scheduling solution has an Outlook Plug-in which enables schedules to be conveniently added to an Outlook Calendar with an iCal. In addition, its scheduling platform interfaces with Jail and Prison Offender Management Systems in order to provide schedulers more accuracy
when scheduling to specific video devices for arraignments etc.; finally, GTL’s solution is offered as an onpremise capital deployment or as Hosted/Managed Service. Cisco Connected Justice solutions are built on an open, standards-based architecture that provides for interoperability between any other standards-based product set and provides development tools that promote information sharing of all types; voice, video and data. “This open platform ensures that any collaboration application can interoperate between systems to provide secure communications from anywhere and from any device whether it is a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or TelePresence system,” says Boyd. “A unique component of Cisco Connected Justice solutions is the industry expertise and technical experts that can help design, build and deploy the video solution and related assets needed to support any public safety application—whether it’s in courts, law enforcement or corrections,” he concludes.
Technological Considerations
Having the proper equipment is key to implementation success. What type of technological specifications
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conditions, and getting defendants transported. By using video conferencing, this issue can be alleviated.” She also said in the article that when the project started, the primary purpose for video conferencing in the courts was to provide more costeffective and convenient court interpreter services. The project has rapidly expanded to additional uses.
An attorney can conference with a remote witness, interpreter, etc. using the Cisco Connected Justice solution.
Further Study
should courts be alerted to when considering equipment? “Making sure that the audio and video quality is at or near HD has been extremely important to our customers so the technology doesn’t become a barrier to success,” says GTL’s Eickhoff. Secondly, he continues, “not only making sure technology works but that it is extremely easy to use. Selecting a partner who is hardware and technology neutral is also important so any videoconferencing equipment already acquired can be utilized, thus protecting its investment today as well as tomorrow. Ensuring teleconferencing solutions are easy to operate for the typical court staff in order that valuable time is not taken to understand how to use conferencing equipment is essential, agrees Patterson. He says Cisco’s solutions are designed to be user-friendly, which imposes minimum demands on the client’s internal human resources to maintain and operate. Additionally, customers have access to the company’s network of partners and support teams for technical assistance.
Cost Savings
Cost reductions are realized from teleconferencing due to a reduction in jail population, lower fees being
paid to appointed counsel, the absence of transportation and travel reimbursements and other related savings, continues Patterson. It is important to realize “those benefits are permanent. No additional action is required on the part of the user to continue to recognize savings.” Cisco Connected Justice solutions include financial analysis as an integral part of the service, he notes. “The development of a long-term technology strategy should include a forecast of cost savings, which will vary among users, but can be calculated with a high degree of reliability based upon the company’s experience in providing these services.” A case in point is the Bexar County Court (San Antonio, Texas), which implemented a Cisco TelePresence video teleconferencing system in 2011 to increase efficiencies in judicial proceedings. According to Catherine Maras, who serves as CIO of the county: “The updated teleconferencing system has saved our county taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Nebraska’s Alden is also a huge proponent. "Cost savings, convenience, and safety are the biggest benefits,” she says. “Winters in Nebraska can cause for the postponement of hearings due to road
Pennsylvania is one of the states that has made substantial investment in videoconferencing technologies. Back in 2008, about half of the Common Pleas Courts in the state had videoconferencing technology, according to a Feb. 2014 article, “Videoconferencing in Court?” on www.theconferencingzone.com. In fact, Pennsylvania’s judiciary is recognized as a pioneer in the use of videoconferencing technology in the country. According to one estimate, Pennsylvania’s courts reportedly conduct about 15,000 proceedings via videoconferencing each month in the matters of arraignments, warrant proceedings and bail and sentencing hearings. The growing use of videoconferencing in the legal sector has also necessitated the framing of best practices and guidelines for the use of the technology in state and local court systems. To this end, a workgroup has been set up by the National Institute of Justice consisting of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jail administrators, court administrators and court technology staff from across the nation. It is tasked with reviewing Pennsylvania’s experience with videoconferencing to develop protocols in state and local courts for post-arraignment release hearings. When its guidelines are formulated in the coming months you can be rest assured more courts will join the ranks of satisfied video conferencing customers.
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D I R E C TO RY A N D R E F E R E N C E G U I D E ADA Requirements Marshall Furniture
Data Integration Alliance Renewable Technologies Fivepoint Solutions
Presentation Equipment Interactive Touchscreen Solutons
Architectural & Construction CGL Marshall Furniture
Detectors; Weapons and Explosives Autoclear Garrett Metal Detectors
Security-Electonic Garrett Metal Detectors Professional Systems Engineering Sens-O-Lock of America Shadowtrack
Document Management Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions Fivepoint Solutions ImageSoft MIXNET Pioneer Technology Group Relational Semantics Tybera Tyler Technologies
Security-Physical Autoclear Garrett Metal Detectors Professional Systems Engineering
Audio Recording Systems Hunt Reporting VIQ Solutions Inc. Audio/Video Systems Hall Research Hunt Reporting Infax Marshall Furniture VIQ Solutions Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing Huron Consulting Group Collections; Receivables Management Alliance Renewable Technologies RevQ Xerox Consultants Alliance Renewable Technologies CGL Huron Consulting Group Northpointe Professional Systems Engineering Xerox Court Automation Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions ImageSoft Jury Systems Pioneer Technology Group RevQ Tybera Tyler Technologies Xerox Court Reporting/Recording Hunt Reporting MIXNET VIQ Solutions Inc.
Drug/Alcohol Testing and Detection Doxtech Draeger Safety Diagnostics Sens-O-Lock of America Shadowtrack Smart Start Thermos Fisher Scientific Electronic Monitoring Sens-O-Lock of America Shadowtrack Facility Management CGL Smart Start Ignition Interlock Draeger Safety Diagnostics Sens-O-Lock of America SmartStart Jury Services & Systems Jury Systems Xerox Kiosks Cisco Interactive Touchscreen Solutons Jury Systems Marshall Furniture Infax Xerox
Software Alliance Renewable Technologies Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions Fivepoint Solutions Imagesoft Infax Interactive Touchscreen Solutons New Dawn Northpointe . Pioneer Technology Group Relational Semantics RevQ Syscon Tyler Technologies Xerox System Integrators Huron Consulting Group Infax Relational Semantics Xerox Video Arraignment Systems Cisco Video Recording Systems Cisco VIQ Solutions Web Based Services, Electronic Access, Online Access CourtView Justice Solutions ImageSoft ISD Technologies, Inc. Jury Systems MIXNET Pioneer Technology Group Relational Semantics Tybera Xerox October/November 2014x
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2 Gardner Rd Fairfield, NJ 07004 USA tel: 973-276-6000 fax: 973-276-6166 contact: Jack Fenwick, National Sales Manager email: info@a-clear.com web site: www.a-clear.com ...Courthouses worldwide choose Autoclear screening systems to inspect mail, packages and people for weapons, drugs, explosives and other and contraband. Our direct transmission X-ray systems have excellent detection capability, reliability, speed and ease of use. Our handheld and walkthrough metal detectors deliver uniform detection, accuracy, and keep false alarms low.
Alliance Renewable Technologies, Inc. Mount Dora, FL 32757 tel: 855-387-7623 contact: Rex Arnold, President email: rarnold@courtalliance.com web site: www.courtalliance.com or www.duprocess.com ...Duprocess® Case Management systems provide efficient and cost effective solutions for your agency. Over 2 decades of delivering the most robust easy to use applications to provide your users and administrators the best tools for the many tasks they must accomplish. From case initiation, document preparation, financial collections to jury management, and more, DuProcess® applications deliver. Call for more information.
801 Brickell Avenue, Suite 720 Miami, FL 33131 tel: 786-409-7000 contact: Eli Gage, Executive VP, Mktg & Business Development email: marketing@cglcompanies.com web site: www.CGLcompanies.com ...CGL works to provide local, state, and
national communities with more efficient facilities to better serve the public. CGL provides facility planning, needs assessments (including security and health care), architectural programs, building design, program management, facility maintenance, development, and financing services specifically for criminal justice facilities, offering our clients the unique ability to wisely minimize the Total Cost of Ownership of their existing or to-be-built facilities.
Cisco Systems, Inc. San Jose, CA tel: 408-894-1760 fax: 314.436.9566 contact: Judge M. Boyd Patterson, Jr (ret), Senior Judicial Advisor email: boypatte@cisco.com web site: www.cisco.com/go/connectedjustice Cisco® Connected Justice™ enhances the cycle of justice and lowers operating expenses. This approach allows court and correctional leaders, as well as law officers to perform their duties regardless of distance to enhance agility, increase speed of justice, and create safer experiences
791 Piedmont Wekiwa Rd. Apopka, FL 32703 tel: 407-598-1825 fax: 407-598-1879 contact: Victor Lee, National Account Executive email: info@csisoft.com web site: www.csisoft.com ...Computing System Innovations developers of the industry’s leading automated redaction and indexing software, Intellidact™, provides cost-effective, highvolume, high accuracy privacy protection with the least amount of manual verification. Recent Intellidact suite additions include enterprise search - iSearch™, and proactive privacy information detection, notification, and prevention specific for efiling, Intellidact PrivacyWall™
4825 Higbee Ave. NW North Canton, Ohio 44718 tel: 800-406-4333 fax: 330-494-2483 contact: Gary Enger, Dir. of Bus. Dev. email: info@courtview.com web site: www.courtview.com ...CourtView Justice Solutions engineers, installs and supports justice information management systems. Courts, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, probation offices, detention operators and law enforcement agencies enhance their operations, and improve public safety with CourtView’s dynamic case management and risk/needs assessment solutions.
DOXTECH™
10025 SW Allen Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97005 tel: 800-524-7387 fax: 607-441-1872 contact: Susan Russell, Sales Manager email: sales@doxtech.com web site: www.doxtech.com ...The Doxtech Specimen Container System is LEAKPROOF and TAMPER-EVIDENT and NO messy tamper-evident tapes are necessary. When the Doxtech Lid is pressed into the bottle-it LOCKS closed. Contents cannot be adultered without obvious damage to the cap and/or bottle. Doxtech is used worldwide by law enforcement, parole/probation agencies, correctional facilities and hospitals.
Draeger Safety Diagnostics, Inc. 4040 W. Royal Lane, Suite 136 Irving, TX 75063 tel: 972-929-1100 fax: 972-573-1753 email: info@draeger.com web site: www.draeger.com/courts ...Dräger provides a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for court officials to detect potential alcohol- and drugrelated impairment or monitor program compliance. Our alcohol breathalyzers and ignition interlocks are extremely accurate, reliable, and easy to use. Our newest oral fluid drug screening device, the Dräger DrugTest® 5000, is the first of its kind, providing analyzed screening results within minutes.
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D I R E C TO RY tion of its revolutionary Mini-Cat® video extender, Hall Research has proven time and again its commitment to innovation and quality. Courtrooms utilizing Hall Research systems can be found throughout the country. FivePoint Solutions P.O. Box 498 Lexington, SC 29071 tel: 803-951-2094 fax: 678-693-9635 contact: Cicero Lucas, President email: rlucas@myFivepoint.com web site: www.myFivepoint.com ...FivePoint Solutions specializes in systems integration, federated searches and portal queries, which allow agencies to query local, state, and federal databases and consolidate search results into a matched, merged, scored, and parsed userfriendly format. FivePoint Solutions also specializes in Accountability Court Case Management for drug and other treatment courts.
1881 W. State Street Garland, TX 75042 tel: 972-494-6151 fax: 972-494-1881 contact: James Hurst, Security Sales email: security@garrett.com web site: www.garrett.com ...Garrett Metal Detectors is the global leader in the research and manufacture of security walk-through, hand-held and ground search metal detectors. The company supplies walk-through, hand-held and ground search products for special events, airports, court houses, schools, correctional facilities and government buildings. Visit www.garrett.com for complete product and application information.
1163 Warner Avenue. Tustin, CA 92780 contact: A.J. Shelat, VP of Sales tel: 714-641-6607 tel: 714-641-6698 email: sales@hallresearch.com web site: www.Hallresearch.com ...Hall Research celebrates “30 years of Excellence” as a leading manufacturer of control and signal management products for the ProAV market. Since the introduc-
550 W. Van Buren Street, Chicago, IL 60607 contact: Debbie Cook, Director tel: 727.744.9428 email: dcook@huronconsultinggroup.com web site: www.justicepm.com
...JusticePM is a cost effective Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Solution expertly designed for bringing focus on the key areas impacting courts today. Actionable information regarding timeliness, compliance, transparency and costs are provided in a convenient and easy to use dashboard format. Available as a Cloud or premise based solution, JusticePM offers court systems everywhere a fast and effective way to implement a state-of-the-art information solution.
Hunt Reporting Company 12 Crain Hwy. N Glen Burnie, MD 21061 contact: Geoffrey L. Hunt, President tel: 410-766-4868, 800-950-3376 fax: 410-760-0630 email: geoffhunt@courtreport.com web site: www.courtreport.com ...Hunt Reporting’s team of experienced court reporters is available for your depositions or administrative hearings seven days a week. Using state-of-the art recording technology, our expert reporters will capture a complete record of your proceeding and produce a verbatim transcript on time
25900 W. 11 Mile Road, Suite 100 Southfield, MI 48034 tel: 248-948-8100 X 200 contact: Scott Bade email: sbade@imagesoftinc.com web site: www.imagesoftinc.com ...ImageSoft offer’s JusticeTech™, a comprehensive electronic justice system solution that harnesses high-speed document scanning, redaction, electronic signature and extensive workflow automation to create a fully electronic court. JusticeTech integrates with the court’s CMS to provide a better-than-paper experience for the judge, clerk and court staff.
4250 River Green Parkway, Ste D. Duluth, GA 30096 tel: 678-533-4016 fax: 770-209-0671 contact: Cecily Waters, Dir. Judicial Mktg email: cwaters@infax.com web site: www.CourtSight.com ...Infax, Inc. provides real-time docket and facility information to patrons at particular junctions. The CourtSight Suite is an integrated digital signage solution for your courthouse. It helps alleviate wayfinding confusion, and helps patrons successfully navigate through your facility. The system uses commercial displays, kiosks and the web to electronically guide patrons to their end destination.
contact: Natalie Boblia tel: 800-652-4830 x 316 email: nboblia@itouchinc.com web site: www.itouchinc.com ...Interactive Touchscreen Solutions, Inc. offers digital signage solutions to modernize and improve efficiency in any facility. We offer - Navigo Active Signage, Touchscreen Directory, Wayfinding, Room Scheduler & Visitor Management Solutions. Contact us today and learn how the Navigo Suite of Products can work for you.
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E L I M I N A T E Manual-Payment Processing Processing At no cost to your agency
Manual payment processing and cash is a labor intensive and costly activity, and in today’s tough economic environment where the bottom line counts—automation pays. TouchPay provides reliable, secure, and fully automated electronic-payment solutions to government agencies. Your customers can choose to make payments through a variety of convenient options and methods, including cash and credit/debit cards at kiosks or remotely online and via telephone. Benefits to your agency include: Increases payments and collections Eliminates the expense of manual-payment processing and cash management Provides convenience for cash-only customers with on-premise payment kiosks Reduces time spent on customer care issues Validates payment information in real time TouchPay automates a wide variety of transactions for our clients, including: COURTS
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D I R E C TO RY
1985 Yosemite Ave., Suite 135 Simi Valley, CA 93063 tel: 805-285-5800 x 212 fax: 805-285-5842 contact: Tessa Prophet, Marketing and Sales Specialist email: tessa@jurysystems.com web site: www.jurysystems.com ...Jury Systems Incorporated was founded by jury professionals and has been providing the best and most comprehensive jury management solutions for 25+ years. Whether large or small, our products have the flexibility and configurability to meet any court’s need. Our team’s expert insight as well as unmatched customer service and support prove we are the industry leader in jury management. We're here 24/7 to ensure your success Marshall Furniture Inc. 999 Anita Ave, Antioch IL 60002 tel: 847-395-9350 fax: 847-395-9351 contact: Tom Feldkamp, Sales Mgr email: tom@marshallfurniture.com web site: www.marshallfurniture.com
... Marshall Furniture designs and manufactures lecterns, evidence carts, counsel tables and more. We can meet any budget and match any architectural detail. Contact us to help design and build your courtroom furniture needs.
3603 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite E Fairfax, VA 22030 contact: Adam Stein, Mktg. Manager tel: 888-771-3453 fax: 480-393-4846 email: ats@mixnet.com web site: www.mixnet.com/e-court/ The MIXNET Courts Records Management application is based on the software-as-a-service model, thus is perfect for any size Court. Your Benefits: 1. Create, scan, efile, index, share, monitor and search securely any court documents from anywhere, from any browser-based device, and at anytime based on user privileges. 2. No hardware or software investment required. It is payas-you-go; no document transactions equals no fees!
Northpointe Inc. 1764 Forest Ridge Dr., Suite A Traverse City, MI 49686 tel: 888-221-4615 or 231-938-5959 fax: 231-938-5995 contact: Dave Wells, General Manager email: info@northpointeinc.com web site: www.northpointeinc.com ...Established in 1989, Northpointe is a recognized consulting and research firm that delivers software products, training and implementation services for behavioral and risk assessments to more than 200 federal, state and local criminal justice systems and policy makes throughout the United States and Canada.
1100 Central Park Drive, Suite 100 Sanford, FL 32771 tel: 800-280-5281 fax: 407-321-7971 contact: Peter Johnson, VP Sales & Mktg email: pjohnson@ptghome.com web site: www.ptghome.com ...Pioneer Technology Group is transforming courts with the Benchmark case management system. Benchmark is the most comprehensive system available, delivering a truly paperless, unified solution for County and Municipal Courts.
Streamline all facets of your court with truly paperless in court processing, and easy to use online access including online judicial access. To see Benchmark for yourself, call 800 280 5281 or visit us online at www.ptghome.com
1010 Church Road Lansdale, PA 19446 tel: 800-839-5060 ext. 111 fax: 215-661-1280 contact: Anne Waite, Mktg. Coordinator email: ahw@profsyseng.com web site: http://profsyseng.com/ ...Holder of a USCA contract from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) for Court Technology
Professional Systems Engineering provides completely independent consulting services for Physical and Electronic Security; Communication Infrastructure; Courts / Justice/ Corrections Technology and A/V Infrastructure; Acoustics, Noise and Vibration Control; Network Infrastructure Service and Support; Connectivity with Entities, VoIP Phones, Cellular Phone Detection, and IP-based communication for 28+ years.
Relational Semantics, Inc. 1185 Washington St. Newton, MA 02465 tel: 617 965-1700 contact: Bob Gorman, President email: bob@rsi.com web site: http://www.rsi.com/ ...Relational Semantics, Inc. (RSI) develops and delivers solutions that help state courts streamline processes, lower costs, and improve customer service. Combining 25 years of judicial experience and expertise in the latest technologies, RSI can help your court solve modern challenges including case management, efiling integration, mobile productivity, and public access.
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RevQ 4400 NE 77th Avenue, Suite 100 Vancouver, WA 98622 tel: 360-260-5730 x 5730 fax: 360-260-1614 contact: Jon Daane, Sales Manager email: jon.daane@revq.com web site: www.revq.com ...RevQ, part of the Columbia Ultimate family of companies, provides industry-leading software solutions and consulting services to improve success in revenue recovery and restitution compliance for Courts, Taxation and other public sector entities. RevQ leverages leading collections tools, techniques and technologies, and unparalleled government expertise to help clients consistently optimize efficiency, improve compliance, and increase collections.
tel: 800-219-9936 fax: 404-393-3551 contact: Craig Lotz, CEO email: clotz@sensolockamerica.com web site: www.sensolockamerica.com ...Sens-O-Lock of America is the premier provider of ignition interlocks in Connecticut. We offer the easiest to use interlock available and are supported by the largest in-state and national installation network in the industry. Our outstanding customer support is another reason customers and many attorney’s recommend us to friends and clients.
4850 Plaza Drive, Irving, TX 75063 tel: 800.880.3394 fax: 972.915.0562 contact: Don Nebhan, VP of Ops & Mktg. email: dnebhan@smartstartinc.com website: smartstartinc.com ...Smart Start alcohol monitoring devices utilize alcohol specific fuel cells, meet NHTSA standards and are made in the USA. Smart Start operates 1000 service centers supported by a 24/7 bilingual call center.
3850 N. Causeway Blvd, Suite 1145 Metairie, LA 70002 tel: 877-396-0385 fax: 404-393-3551 contact: Robert Magaletta, President email: Robert@Shadowtrack.com web site: www.Shadowtrack.com ...Shadowtrack is the most economical, voice biometrics, community based monitoring solution to the corrections industry, that utilizes dual location authentication technology to identify where a participant is during a verification session. Use Shadowtrack for Home Incarceration, Curfew Management, Self Reporting, Random Drug Testing, Text, Voice or Email notifications plus more.
5101 Tennyson Pkwy Plano, TX 75024 tel: 972-713-37681 fax: 972-713-3777 contact: Michael Kleiman email: michael.kleiman@tylertech.com web site: www.tylertech.com ...Tyler’s Odyssey® product suite is a complete solution, from case management and document management to e-filing and financial systems. Odyssey seamlessly integrates these capabilities, improving the user’s experience and increasing court efficiencies. The Odyssey system has become the market leader, resulting in satisfied clients in more than 500 counties across 21 states.
2 West Baltimore Ave., Suite 315 Media, PA 19063 tel: 877-923-7800 fax: 866-999-9476 web site: www.lt-holdings.com
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D I R E C TO RY
563 E 770 North Orem, Utah 84097 tel: 801-226-2746 email: nanderson@tybera.com web site: www.tybera.com ...Tybera is a market leader in providing electronic filing software to courts, attorneys, and government agencies statewide. More and more courts are realizing the savings of time and money that eFlex brings through reduced manual data entry and automated workflow. Now courts are offered even more value through new features like our document generation and CASEaDia PDF binders for judges.
100 Allstate Parkway, Suite 200, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 6H3 tel: 800-263-9947 fax: 905-948-8276 contact: Leo Halpern, Regional Business Director email: info@viqsolutions.com web site:www.viqsolutions.com ...VIQ Solutions is the global expert in digital recording technology. With a better approach to the collection, storage and management of digital audio, video and files, we help your court increase efficiency, improve security and reduce costs. Let us show you the benefits of a reliable, secure digital record that is collaborative and can easily be searched and shared by those who need it. We’ve got the technology, the experience and the expertise, with thousands of judicial clients around the world trusting VIQ for the capture and management of their audio, video and other evidence.
2025 Leestown Road, Suite A1 Lexington, KY 40511 tel: 585-943-1843 contact: Michael Hartman, VP of Sales email: Justice.Solutions@xerox.com web site: http://services.xerox.com/state-andlocal-government ...At XEROX, we have decades of experience providing and implementing case and jury management solutions in complex, real-world justice environments. We are a Fortune 500 company offering systems integration, justice revenue services, electronic filing, interactive voice response, audio/visual technologies, document management systems, imaging and microfilm conversion, and violation processing.
VIQ is the worldwide leader in the capture and management of di digital gital audio, audio, video and e evidence vidence. We’ve got the technology chnology,, the experience and the expertise to ƥ state-wide state-wide installations of hundreds of courtrooms, with hundreds of terabytes of data. For standalone users, VIQ has a range of audio/video capcap ture and management solutions that are easy to use but with sophi sophisticated sticated features and functionality. Ȉ ͮͱ Ȉ ͮͱ Ȉ ͮǡͱͬͬ Ȉ ͮǡͱͬͬ Ȉ Ȉ Managing digital media evidence is what we do, and we Ǥ Ƥ how VIQ can make digital digital media evidence evidence work for you you.
Multi-channel HD video capture Case management integration Online access ƪ and more...
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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBU TING EDITOR
The WolfVision 3D Visualizer can amplify small visuals in detail for a group viewing.
More drones, More body caMs, More recording devices, social Media, and the constant evolution of phones, tablets and pads will surely iMpact how evidence is presented and recorded.
POLICE
TV shows tend to overstate the capabilities of the technology available to law enforcement. Legal programs tend to understate the technology available to courts. Despite this, no longer is it necessary for an attorney to balance a briefcase on a box overflowing with papers and hold it all into place with her chin as she takes her seat at the table. Technology has taken over, and today it’s possible for a lawyer to present evidence in a 3D hologram (though it hasn’t actually been done in a courtroom yet). While the public is used to watching scenes of witnesses grimacing as they pass a bloody knife in a plastic bag, now that same evidence can be viewed in
3D from a presentation device. There is, in fact, an organization created by the William & Mary Law School and the National Center for State Courts called the Center for Legal and Court Technology (CLCT) dedicated to courtroom technology whose mission is “to improve the world’s legal systems through the appropriate use of technology.” The CLCT is known for The McGlothlin Courtroom, “the world’s most technologically advanced trial and appellate courtroom and classroom.” The Court even once created a case in which a fictional medical company designed a device that removed cholesterol from blood. In the case, the first patient died and the suit was whether the surgeon or the manufacturer was at fault. CLCT
used a virtual reality version of the room developed by a team from the University of California at Santa Barbara to determine if the nurse was able to see the surgeon’s hands during the procedure. (They determined that the nurse was not.) Fredric Lederer, the director of CLCT, points out that it is not just technology in the courtroom itself that will need to be considered. There are other aspects such as social media. For whatever reason, some criminals feel compelled to post their crimes on Facebook or YouTube and subsequently get caught. Police cams are being used more and more. The shooting of an unarmed teen by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer has spurred the use of body cams. (Ferguson has since October/November 2014x
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A remote witness testifies in United States v. Varic, an experimental (simulated) attempted child slavery prosecution at the Center for Legal and Court Technology in the William & Mary Law School. The judge, the Honorable Barbara Rothstein, was then director of the Federal Judicial Center.
adopted the use of them. The city’s 53 officers share 25 cameras in 12hour shifts.) As Lederer points out, the FBI will now record interrogations. There is also the matter of the increased use of drones and items such as Google Glass, a device that has sparked concerns about the invasion of privacy, as well as a “Stop the Cyborgs” campaign, a London-based organization that, according to the website, was “founded in response to the combination of wearable technology with ‘big data’” and has the intention to “stop a future in which privacy is impossible and where the iron cage of surveillance, calculation and control pervades every aspect of life.” Lederer notes, “All of this is eventually going to show up in court.” In July 2014, Facebook acquired Oculus Rift, a virtual-reality startup that is currently used for video games. It is possible, says Lederer, that the technology could be adapted to courts and juries who could then put on a headset and “view with a vengeance.” The court could be immersed in virtual reality and actually transported to a crime scene. Zuckerburg himself is think-
ing ahead. He posted on Facebook, "This is just the start. After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences." While the technology is astonishing, Lederer points out that there are considerations CLCT is keeping in mind. To be admissible, evidence, including technological evidence, must be accurate. Further, evidence should not be unfairly prejudicial. Hearing testimony about a victim who was stabbed 50 times is one thing. Showing it, especially in 3D, is another. That might cause the jury to unfairly consider the sheer horror of the crime and arrive at a prejudicial outcome. A year ago, the Court showed the first 3D evidence: a brick and a baseball bat. The brick, says Lederer, was imposing in 3D. It had jagged edges that looked more jagged than they actually were, so the question arose: Did it look more dangerous than it was? Rule 403 states: “The court may exclude relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of one or more of the following: unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, wasting time, or needlessly
presenting cumulative evidence.” Says Lederer, “All of these factors come into play.” One of the primary devices used in the presentation of evidence and documents is the document camera, which is a more effective and versatile successor to the overhead projector. (Wolfvision calls theirs a visualizer; DOAR calls theirs a presenter.) WolfVision’s VZ-C3D is the first Live 3D Visualizer, according to the firm. Kyle Greetham, communications manager, says that many companies work with 3D, but it is done post-production using software. The VZ-C3D allows a user to change the materials and move them around to give the audience a more realistic and authentic idea of the object being worked. He furthers that the Visualizer can offer the means to bring the presentation to the next level. If a lawyer were to show a weapon—for example, the baseball bat used in the CLCT trial—not only would the audience be able to see it as if it were directly in front of them, but the image quality of the Visualizer would let them see all the details in the wood grains, or splinters where it might have hit something. This level of display allows the viewers to “experience” the material.
MAKING A RECORD
Evidence not only has to be presented; the trial also needs to be recorded. All forms of court records have been improved via technology. The October 2014 annual meeting of the American Judges’ Association in Las Vegas saw a combined demonstration by the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers and the firm For The Record (FTR) of remote transcription of digital audio. Transcripts prepared by remote transcribers across the United States were delivered within an hour of Lederer’s remarks about court technology.
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SYNCH IT UP
PESA has been supporting court technology for many years. The major development of late has been the PESA Xstream C-58. The impetus was international courts and the need to have synchronous audio/visual, which was implemented with VIQ Solution’s Ace Management software. Courtroom technology, notes John Wright, senior vice president and business development at PESA, requires many components, so the question naturally arises of how to get all the disparate pieces of equipment to work without problems. Malcolm Macallum, chief technology officer at VIQ Solutions Inc., points out that the issue was that the
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Alcolock, USA............................11 Computing System Innovations..............................7 Corrisoft.......................................9 CourtView..................................21 eCourt........................................37 ImageSoft, Inc.............................8 Infax .............................................2 Jury Systems, Inc. .....................19 Mixnet........................................33 New Dawn Technologies.........29 Phoenix Kiosk ...........................18 Stratus Video.............................24 StunCuff Enterprises, Inc. ..............13, 25 Thomson Reuters.....................40 TouchPay Payment Systems ..................................31 Tybera ..........................................5 Tyler Technologies .............15, 39 VIQ Solutions INC. ...................34 Xerox..........................................23 This advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers only. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.
very small audio files travelled much faster than the very large visual files. That time delay meant that the picture and the sound would not be synched. On top of that, it used to be that getting that all done with firmware could cost between $50,000 and $60,000. It was clear that courts needed a low-cost single device to provide a viable audio/video management tool that would work as well stand-alone as it did networked. In addition, it was critical that it be integrated with court recorders. “To that end, VIQ wanted to deliver to the evidence market a simple-to-manage unit that provided outstanding audio and video capabilities. This partnership with PESA was created with that goal in mind,” Macallum explains. From a simple 1RU package, the PESA system simplifies integration and configuration of A/V sources. As a result, video formats such as NTSC/PAL, SDI, HD-SDI and 3GSDI can be combined with decoded IP video sources to create a combination of up to five simultaneous full screen streams and one QuadView stream. What they are finding is that the system can be used in any legal setting where there is a need for a solid visual record. Wright notes that audio was and is the gold standard, and the system can assure that the video is synched. This is particularly useful internationally where different languages and dialects are spoken, and monitoring body language is needed. One example is a firm in Jordan under contract to record a meeting for the International Monetary Fund. They wanted the meeting recorded to have one video stream and three audio streams: one in Arabic, one in English, and one in French. PESA has also developed an app called the PESA Xstream Live that will allow users the option to select which vantage point to watch during a live event. While developed with
the entertainment industry in mind, the potential for use in courts is clear. Among the most famous sayings in the English language is Armstrong’s “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” The story goes that Armstrong flubbed his famous scripted line, “That’s one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong and NASA insisted for years that static dropped the article, thus changing the literal meaning in a significant way. After listening numerous times, he later admitted that he may have dropped the “a.” Either way, the sound was not clear, and while now an anecdote of an American hero, a similar flub in a court presentation could be a disaster. Audio testimony is one of the most common forms of presentation in the courtroom setting, and that technology is no longer simply a device to make a voice louder. Organizations such as Enersound now produce entire systems such as the CS-300 Conference and Discussion System, a turnkey solution that is equipped with an ECM capsule, intelligent automatic mixing technology and integrated acoustic and mechanical design, providing a turn-key solution and delivering consistently natural, feedback-free audio performance. The options are limitless. CLCT has already used a virtual reality operating room, and the possibilities of technology such as Oculus Rift seem filled with potential. This coming March, CLCT will conduct an experimental trial in which they will rely largely on tablets and phones (they will bring their own) to present evidence and testimony. More drones, more body cameras, more recording devices, social media, and the constant evolution of phones, tablets and pads will surely impact how evidence is presented and recorded. He predicts: “All of this will flood the courts.”
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