NCJ Number
148089
Journal
Court Manager Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1994) Pages: 14-18
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Delaware began using live interactive video conferences for arraignments and bail reduction motions in superior courts in 1988; it expanded its uses in 1993 to the justice of the peace courts to include initial bail hearings, the issuance of arrest and search warrants, and the viewing of search warrant returns and to the Attorney General's Office for felony intakes.
Abstract
Further expansion of the family court for juvenile delinquency cases and adult domestic violence misdemeanors is now under way. The first video conferencing took place in the New Castle County Superior Court. The courthouse in downtown Wilmington, the State's largest city, is linked to the prison 3 miles away. Signals are transmitted by microwave relay. A major benefit of the system is the great increase in public safety, particularly in cases in which defendants have been charged with violent crimes or serious felonies. The system also saves money in correctional officer time and transportation. The Felony Intake and Bail Hearing Videophone Project is a multijurisdictional effort that demonstrates exceptional and unprecedented cooperation among levels and branches of government. The project allows the courts, police, and attorney general to conduct their work without traveling between their offices. Future plans include a statewide network of video-conferencing equipment that would link other police agencies and correctional facilities with the courts. The system demonstrates how agencies with strong leadership and a cooperative spirit, the courts, corrections, and police can join together to use a technology for the common good. Illustration