While the wheels of justice still turn slowly, the move to a 21st Century digital courtroom is proceeding along at a rapid clip. The transition to tech-laden courtrooms has been gathering steam for the last several years. One reason for the rapid shift? It saves taxpayer dollars, and that’s a winning card to play when election time rolls around.
Back in 2011, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York State Court of Appeals sought to implement mandatory electronic filings in New York State in order to save the state a cool $100 million.
One journalist noted the transition to digital isn’t without hiccups. Kevin P. O’Connor, a staff reporter for the Herald News in Fall River, Mass., described the conundrum well in his article, ‘Transition to increased use of technology in courtrooms not always smooth.’
He recounted watching prosecutors reach that grand finale moment — when they ask the jury to view compelling evidence — only to see a static-filled screen force a recess. And some judges seek to ban the use of mobile devices in the courtroom altogether. A judge in Olmstead County objected to the clamor of mobile devices going off in his courtroom, said Chuck Kjos, a County Court Administrator in Rochester, Minn.
Yet, despite the reservations of court officials, many attorneys find the allure of cloud computing and 24-7 access to case information impossible to resist. The legal community by and large is willing to endure the occasional bump in the road on the way to a completely digital courtroom and law office.
Perhaps the most compelling argument in the transition to a digital courtroom will arise from among those legions of tech-savvy attorneys who are ready to embrace the power of cloud computing. The day may not be far off when those dusty file bins and archaic overhead projectors are no longer seen in courtrooms across America.
But we’ll likely continue to hear those mobile gadgets pinging alerts. After all, few of us can resist checking our email, even if it lands us in hot water with the court sometimes. It’s just more evidence that tech is totally irresistible and the legal community is no exception. PWR Resources brings together the best resources in time management, accounting software, and information technologies.