New York State Courts Announce High-Tech Courtrooms

Via two press releases this month, we learn about new high-tech courtrooms in the New York City Family Court  location in Brooklyn and in  Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains, New York

More below...





Westchester County Supreme Court High-Tech Courtroom

Via press release

"A state-of-the-art courtroom designed to speed the progress of complex commercial cases is now up and running in Westchester County Supreme Court’s Commercial Division, which serves as a forum for the resolution of complicated business disputes. The Division’s Integrated Courtroom Technology (ICT) part, located in Westchester County’s Supreme and County Courthouse in White Plains, has been specially outfitted to ease the handling of complex commercial cases, with such features as:

• Atech-based evidence system that enhances the presentation of evidence, permitting attorneys to display physical and electronic evidence-and witnesses to annotate the evidence-in a controlled fashion to all court participants
• Wireless internet access for all courtroom participants, including secure wi-fi access for judges with state-issued “smart” tablets and laptops 
• Advanced acoustical elements to ensure proper sound levels throughout the courtroom, including assistive-listening aids for hearing-impaired individuals
• Real-time court reporting capabilities for instantaneous voice-to-text transcription•Advanced audio-recording equipment
• Audio-visual conferencing capabilities

The White Plains ICT part seamlessly incorporates multiple high-tech components in a modular, user-friendly platform designed to ensure full access to all court participants. The New 

York Courts’ first ICT part opened in Westchester, in Yonkers Family Court in 2016. The new White Plains high-tech courtroom is the latest in a series of technological advances introduced over the years by the New York State Supreme Court’s Commercial Division, which in addition to Westchester County operates in Albany, Kings, Nassau, New York, Onondaga and Queens counties and in the State’s Seventh Judicial District and Eighth Judicial District. "

Photo of the courtroom is from https://westfaironline.com/97104/hi-tech-courtroom-up-and-running-in-westchester-supreme-court/

Brooklyn High-Tech Courtroom

Via press release:

"A state-of-the-art courtroom designed to enhance the delivery of justice to children and families served by the New York City Family Court was unveiled today in Brooklyn. Among those on hand to celebrate its opening were Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Mendelson, New York City Family Court Administrative Judge Jeanette Ruiz, and Dr. William C. Bell, president and chief executive officer of Casey Family Programs, which works to safely reduce the need for foster care and supported the launch of the high-tech courtroom.

The Kings County Integrated Courtroom Technology (ICT) part has been specially outfitted to ease the handling of trials, with such features as:

• A tech-based evidence system that enhances the presentation of evidence, supporting the clear display of electronic and physical evidence, with an annotation monitor that allows witnesses to mark exhibits  
• Audio-video capabilities to facilitate remote court interpreting, as needed, and remote court proceedings (as permitted by law) in serving the best interests of children and families 
• Advanced acoustical elements to ensure proper sound levels throughout the courtroom, including assistive-listening aids for hearing-impaired individuals 
• Real-time court reporting capabilities for instantaneous voice-to-text transcription 
• Wireless internet access for all participants 

The Brooklyn ICT part, which seamlessly incorporates multiple high-tech components in 

a modular, user-friendly platform designed to ensure full access to all court participants, is the
latest in a series of technological advances implemented by the New York City Family Court.

Within the past few years, the Court’s case records have become entirely digital, making
it the largest family court in the nation to rely solely on digital files; documents are now signed
electronically, providing greater security; digital copies of orders are instantly available to the
Administration for Children’s Services and organizations that provide legal representation to
litigants and children; case records on appeal are delivered electronically to the Appellate
Division; “CourtCasts,” a series of training and refresher podcasts, are available to assist judges,
legal and clerical staff; the “Appointment Express” system permits litigants the option of online
scheduling of appointments to file petitions; “Do-It-Yourself” programs allow the public to
initiate certain types of cases electronically, and a queueing system alerts those waiting for
assistance at the Court Clerk’s Office of their place on the line.

Additionally, the high-tech court part launched today in Brooklyn follows the recent roll-
out of three other ICT sites in New York City Family Court: in the Bronx that handles
juvenile delinquency matters; another in Manhattan that hears child welfare cases; and a third in
a trial part in Queens that hears custody, visitation and, family offense cases."