Have You Seen the New Hi-Tech Courtrooms?
“Our new hi-tech courtrooms have allowed the court to seamlessly conduct hybrid hearings,” states Supervising Judge Danielle Douglas. This past year the court endeavored to equip courtrooms in the Spinetta Family Law and Wakefield Taylor courthouses with state-of-the-art technology and will be doing the same for the Bray and Annex Courtrooms in 2025!
The incorporation of advanced technology into our courtrooms, what we referred to as “hi-tech courtrooms,” has helped the court to achieve its mission and vision through enhancing efficiency, accessibility, and fairness. These innovations are providing benefits to all parties involved, including our judges, attorneys, witnesses, and of course the public.
With this advanced technology installed, video conferencing capabilities allows for increased remote hearings, making it easier to schedule and manage cases without requiring all parties to be physically present. This has saved valuable time, where witnesses, litigants and others involved in matters are located far away. Remote hearings enable individuals who may have mobility issues, transportation issues, or live in remote areas to participate in trials without needing to travel. Also, it is very helpful for those involved who do not have to take a full day off work. This has also helped to ensure that legal proceedings are not delayed due to the absence of key participants.
Some of the technology in the hi-tech courtrooms include 65”/85” smart displays (really large TV’s), microphones throughout the courtroom, including hand-held mics for easy movement throughout the courtroom, speakers in every corner as well as display screens on counsel tables and witness stands. One of the most notable benefits of hi-tech courtrooms is the ability to present evidence more effectively. The technology allows for the seamless integration of multimedia, such as digital documents, photographs, videos, and animations. This can help juries and judges better understand complex evidence, making it easier for them to follow the arguments presented. Judge Douglas states, “The hi-tech courtrooms have enhanced the ability of jurors to see and hear exhibits in the courtroom. and saved litigants money by not having to bring in their own hi-tech equipment.”
While setting up a hi-tech courtroom has required the court to make an initial investment, the long-term savings are significant. The reduction in paper use, travel expenses for witnesses, and delays in proceedings leads to a more cost-effective system. Additionally, by speeding up case processing and reducing backlogs, hi-tech courtrooms can and have resulted in fewer costs to all involved.
Remote testimony, interpreting and available court reporting can also cut down on the costs associated with bringing all these participants from distant locations. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is a massive benefit to the hi-tech courtrooms.
The court is facing an increasing demand for interpreters in various languages, services that can be very expensive, given travel and lodging expenses. With the implementation of the hi-tech courtroom, VRI allows for better coordination of interpreters on scheduled dates without delay or travel. VRI makes the process more affordable for the court as well as for clients.
The integration of this technology into courtrooms represents a significant upgrade and much-needed advance for the court. Hi-tech courtrooms improve efficiency, accessibility, transparency, and security while reducing costs and environmental impacts. As technology continues to evolve, so too will the potential for further improvements in courtroom practices, benefiting all those who utilize the Contra Costa justice system. Supervising Judge Douglas states, “Overall the hi-tech courtrooms in Contra Costa have increased access to justice by allowing attorneys and litigants who may not live locally to appear remotely while allowing parties or citizens to be present in the courtroom and still be able to hear and see remotely-appearing parties.”
A special thank you to the court staff who have been exceptionally wonderful in learning how to utilize the new technology, some becoming experts and trainers for others. Court staff is remarkable and we are grateful!