How technologically savvy are judges? What electronic technologies have been used in their courtrooms and what works best for them? Recently, a survey from the Judiciary's Electronic Courtroom Project asked circuit, district, bankruptcy, and full-time magistrate judges about their usage of courtroom technology. From their responses, it is clear that technology has found a vital place in the courtroom. Of the 1,009 responses tallied, only 182 judges indicated they had no experience with technology or did not plan to use courtroom technology in the near future.
Of the remaining judges, almost two-thirds said they either use or plan to use technology in the areas of presentation of testimony and arguments, presentation of evidence other than testimony, taking the record, in-court case administration, in-court access to ancillary information, and security. Seven out of eight judges indicated that, for taking the record and presentation of evidence and testimony, technology increased the effectiveness of these courtroom functions. Three-quarters of the judges felt that courtroom technology increased in-court effectiveness in the areas of case administration, access to ancillary information, and security. District and magistrate judges indicated that technology had the greatest positive impact on effectiveness in taking the record, in presentation of evidence, and in presentation of testimony. Bankruptcy judges indicated that technology has the greatest positive impact on effectiveness for taking the record and case administration.
Telephone conferencing appears to be the most widely used courtroom technology. For taking the record, audiotape is the primary technology used in federal courts, although half of the district judges now use computer-assisted transcription. Over half of the bankruptcy and magistrate judges indicated interest in using videotape or other technology for taking of the record.
For the future, district and magistrate judges said they planned to use technology for in-court access to ancillary information, which includes technologies providing access to information on the Data Communications Network or other network, computer-assisted legal research, and e-mail on the bench. A significant number of magistrate judges indicated they had plans to use technology for in-court case administration, including technologies permitting access to ICMS data or facilitating the preparation of orders from the bench.
Bankruptcy judges, while not currently using electronic technologies in the courtroom to a great extent, indicated they planned to use or were interested in using technology at some future point. Bankruptcy and magistrate judges saw technologies best being used for in-court case administration and in-court access to ancillary information.
The Electronic Courtroom Project, which involves judges, court employees, and an Administrative Office task force, is currently identifying several court sites for the implementation of state-of-the-market technology to facilitate courtroom processes. These study sites will serve, together with existing programs, as the basis for the development of funding recommendations and Judicial Conference policy on the use of courtroom technology.
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