Courtroom Audio/Visual Solutions

SAGE has gained a great deal of experience working with the Court Systems in Central Pennsylvania over the last few years. With installations at newly constructed facilities and upgrades to existing and historic sites, we have increased our knowledge of court operations and the technologies that work best within them. On our most recent successful project, we had the opportunity to work closely with Martin Gruen, designer and current Deputy Director for Courtroom Design & Technology for Courtroom 21 at William and Mary School of Law in Williamsburg, VA. After the completion of this project, Mr. Gruen had this to say about his experience working with SAGE and our team of engineers and technicians:

"SAGE was a good company to work with. Courtroom projects are very complex. I have worked with many systems integrators in my career designing courtrooms, some with hundreds of Federal Courthouses under their belts, that didn't perform as well as your guys. Even with the limited experience in Courtrooms SAGE had at the time of the installation." - Martin Gruen

Judge's Control Over Courtroom

The flow of court operations is under complete control of the Judge. This includes all technical and non-technical aspects of any proceeding. Through the implementation of an integrated audio/visual system, the Judge can easily manage the technical aspects of electronic evidence presentation through the use of a customized touch screen control panel. Careful attention during the design of the control system's graphical user interface (GUI) and in-depth knowledge of court processes is the key to a successful execution of systems of this nature. SAGE performs an extensive needs assessment prior to the commencement of these installation projects to ensure the Control Systems are designed with a layout that makes the most sense to the parties who will use the systems. The goal is to seamlessly integrate the systems into the daily operation of the courts and not for them to be a hindrance.

Evidence Presentation

The delivery of electronic evidence during court proceedings often requires a great deal of planning. The legal teams are frequently obligated to bring their own playback devices such as DVD, VHS or cassette players while televisions for displaying the evidence need to be wheeled into the courtroom prior to the proceedings commencement. This can result in a disorganized flow to the trial and removes control from the Judge. Integrating a complete Audio/Visual System into the courtroom alleviates much of the disruptions and places control back to the Judge overseeing the proceedings.

Touch Screen Control Panels offer a simple user interface for control of all devices in the courtroom. One touch of a button on a custom-designed GUI screen can route the display of electronic evidence to the jury, the gallery and the legal teams. Annotating the display of the evidence is accomplished with the touch of a button: the witness or the lawyer can now annotate the evidence to highlight key points of interest and the entire courtroom is able to see what is being highlighted in real-time.

Informational Signage

Digital Bulletin Board Displays are useful to inform visitors to the courthouse and participants of the proceedings of relevant information pertaining to the trial and its location. Reminders of court regulations can be displayed on LCD or Plasma screens throughout the courthouse as well.

Contact SAGE

For more information on Court Room and Criminal Justice Solutions by SAGE Technology Solutions, email us at info@sagetechs.com or place a call to one of our System Engineers at 717.653.6641.

SAGE is a proud InfoComm International Silver Certified AV Solutions Provider

Courtroom Overflow Capabilities

Audio and Video Signals can be routed to other areas of the courthouse during higher profile cases with a large number of spectators. A simple selection can activate Court Overflow routing to a separate hearing room. This is also helpful when the gallery is becoming a disruption to the flow of the court proceedings. In cases of hostile witnesses, the defendant can be kept in holding cells and still be part of the trial.

Enhanced Sidebar Conversations

Sidebar conversations at the bench are not typically to be heard by the jury or the gallery but it is crucial for the Court Reporter to accurately document the dialogue. When a sidebar is called, the Judge activates sound masking over the courtroom speakers to muffle the conversation from the courtroom. The microphone at the Judge's bench simultaneously activates allowing the Court Reporter to listen in to the conversation and accurately record the entire conversation.

Remote Witnesses

Video Teleconferencing Systems (VTC) are quickly becoming an integral part of today's courtrooms. Using this technology, legal teams are able to call upon expert testimony without the inconvenience and expense of bringing them to the trial, the risk associated with bringing hostile witnesses are alleviated and frightened, juvenile witnesses are able to give testimony in a safe, comfortable environment.

It is imperative for all evidence and testimony presented during the trial to be displayed at the "far end" of the video conference. This is where SAGE comes in...SAGE can work with the court system to seamlessly integrate the Video Conferencing System into the courtroom and associated audio/visual technologies to deliver transparent Audio and Video to both ends of the conversation in ways that stand-alone VTC units cannot.

Watch Commentary from Bob Chuck at the York County Judicial Center on Courtroom Video Conferencing Solutions provided by SAGE.

York Judicial Center Case Study

Training

Beyond the programming and configuration of the equipment comes the human interface. The court staff and members of the bar need to be familiarized with the equipment through custom-designed training materials and Quick Reference Guides that encourage a comprehensive level of understanding of the enhanced technology in the courtroom. At the completion of these projects, SAGE prepares an in-service training on all components of the systems: complete with project-specific PowerPoint Training Guides which detail, step-by-the-step, the operation of the system for on-going training of staff.