The proliferation of technology in the U.S courtrooms is an idea whose time has come, and contrary to the past notions that technology was only for ‘geeks’ and ‘computer wizards’, it is now being vastly used in American courtrooms. The extensive use of technology in the U.S courtrooms can also be partly attributed to the launch of a pilot program to fund advanced technology for courtrooms in 1998 by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (Kuchler & O Toole, 2008). The initiative pushed for the use of document cameras, monitors, internet connections, and video-conferencing capabilities, among other tools. The impact of the adoption of technology in the U.S courtrooms has been largely positive, especially in the aspect of increasing efficiency, making the provision of justice to be transparent, and enhancing proper keeping of records.
According to Kuchler & O Toole (2008), technology in the U.S courtrooms has helped to achieve efficiency, especially in the aspect of evidence presentation system. Currently, counsel presenting evidence to the jury or the court can use a laptop, and even subsequently connect the laptop to a display monitor, and use display tools such as PowerPoint slides. In this case, lawyers can show images of exhibits to the court, and even incorporate video clips of testimonies and other aspects related to particular cases. Such technologies save time unlike in the past where the presentation of evidence would have required individuals to make several hardcopies, which would take time for people to go through each at a time. On the other hand, video-conferencing technologies have made it easy for witnesses and even judges or other individuals needed to participate in court proceedings to take part without having to go to the courtrooms physically. For a long time, cases would have to be postponed or delay for long durations if certain witnesses or people could not be found. For instance, without the use of technology, many cases at the current time of the coronavirus pandemic would have been postponed. However, the use of technology such as teleconferencing has helped in reducing the backlog of cases, and therefore, ensures that court proceedings flow seamlessly.
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Courtroom proceedings are now transparent as a consequence of the use of technology. Members of the public can now follow many court cases through either televisions or the internet (Dixon Jr., 2017). The knowledge that members of the public are following a particular case could help in enhancing professionalism and accountability. Some injustices have been reported in the past where judges gave unfair sentences to people of different groups or did not follow the due process when determining cases. However, since most cases currently are in the public domain, thanks to the evolution of technology, judges have to adhere to the law and unsure that the process of justice dispensation is not compromised.
Thirdly, the use of technology in courtrooms has led to automated record and document keeping. In the past, the counsel and the jury had to use a lot of paper work. Although it is sometimes necessary to record some information on paper, the use of paperwork has reduced dramatically. Some cases in the past had to be delayed because of loss of evidence or important documents, but with the current automation, individuals can store classified information safely on cloud-based systems (Dixon Jr., 2017. In the event that accidents or unpleasant events happen, cases can still proceed because all documents can be accessed and presented. It is also difficult for individuals to destroy evidence especially if it has already been recorded and stored by different individuals and on different systems. Therefore, technology in this aspect has ensured that cases in U.S courtrooms progress unhindered, and that records are kept safely.
References
Dixon Jr, H. B. (2017). The Basics of a Technology-Enhanced Courtroom. Judges J. , 56 , 36.
Kuchler, D. D., & O Toole, L. C. (2008). How technological advances in the courtroom are changing the way we litigate. Quarterly-Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel , 58 (2), 205.
