CrimLaw

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Sw Virginia Law Blog points to an article on video conferencing in Deleware.

We have this in Chesterfield (at least partially). Each courtroom has a large flat screen plasma T.V. hanging on the wall and a small screen by the judge. General district courts have a small screen in the front of the bench so that the pretrial service guy and the lawyer can see the Defendant. I believe the newest Circuit Court has three or four small screens built into the bar in front of the jury box. All the small screens are set up so that they can slide down out of sight while not in use. Of course, every courtroom has a camera set up to video the bench.

It's pretty cool and utterly useless. The only place that it is used for is the local jail which is about a minute drive from the court. Used only for pre-trial hearings such as notification of charges and bond issues, it saves the deputies some security concerns and time because they do not have to take the prisoners out of the jail and search and shackle them etc. But that it badly outbalanced by the cost which I make easily over $100,000 just for the T.V.'s on the wall (probably much, much more) and I figure cost as much, or more for all the little screens built into the benches. Now, to be honest, it can be done much cheaper. Colonial Heights rolls out a $300 RCA TV and the camera on an A.V. cart when they want to use the system. If the expense were that minimal the security concerns might justify it (especially in Colonial Heights where the jail is in an entirely different city). But even then, Chesterfield never uses it for the jails which are farther away. The deputies are sent to go pick those people up and bring them to the courtroom. And the reason? It's not because the system won't work; it's scheduling difficulties.

Oh well, enough of that rant. Things are the way they are and Chesterfield spent that money before I became a taxpayer here so It didn't come out of my pocket.

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