The 17th Judicial Circuit made an impact in the field specifically after the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, courts nationwide sought innovative ways to improve access to court services using technology. However, the 17th Judicial Circuit found a way to use IT integrations in one courtroom to support remote and hybrid court proceedings.
The project vision for the NCSC award in Implementing Courtroom Technology describes how the initiative to transform courtrooms into hybrid facilities started with the introduction of rolling technology carts and progressed from there.
Setting up the hybrid courtroom involved equipping it with the necessary IT tools including:
- Mini processors that controlled USB connections, microphones and touchscreens
- Upgrading the courtroom with QSYS touch panel systems
- Ceiling cameras were integrated with voice activation features based on microphones, allowing for automatic panning and zooming to the speaker
- Judges were given control over the microphones as well as the authority to decide who could speak and present evidence during proceedings
The following year, the project expanded and partnered with Broward County. The circuit continues to work on implementing courtroom technology in all 75 courtrooms, according to the NCSC.
