Court Leader’s Advantage Podcasts: The Advent of Virtual Hearings
The Nation continues to face the desolation caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. The profound impact of this health calamity continues to bear down on the courts, court staff, our collaborative partners and court users. As part of our continuing weekly podcast series focusing on how courts are coping with the Coronavirus crisis, we look at how courts are turning to technology to help maintain operations.
Before the crisis, virtual hearings were a minor part of the court operations landscape. Now they are being aggressively explored as one solution to help keep courts up and running. How effective are they? What are the benefits and drawbacks? What do we need to watch out for? This week’s panelists relate their courts’ experiences with virtual hearings on platforms including, Microsoft Teams, Skype, GoToMeeting, WebEx, Zoom, CourtCall, JAVS, and CourtSmart.
Our panelists talk about which virtual hearing platforms courts are using. They discuss security concerns, court rules and state laws, public access, creating the record, and technical problems they have encountered and overcome. Finally, they consider the question “Will this crisis mark a cultural shift in courts’ acceptance of virtual hearings in the future?”
This week’s panelists are:
- Zenell Brown, Court Administrator in Detroit, Michigan.
- Mike Roddy, Court Executive Officer in San Diego, California.
- Mark Weinberg, Court Administrator in Daytona Beach, Florida.
- Liz Rambo, Trial Court Administrator in Eugene, Oregon.
- Rick Pierce with the Pennsylvania Administrative Office of the Courts.
Listen to the 
Submit a question or comment at CLAPodcast@nacmnet.org
Do you want to learn more?
Click to access the Joint Technology Committee – Quick Response Bulletin – Strategic Issues to Consider when Starting Virtual Hearings, April 7, 2020
Click to access the Michigan Trial Court Virtual Hearing Standards and Guidelines
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