Countywide : Courtroom Gets High-Tech System

Ventura County court officials on Friday unveiled a high-tech “courtroom of the future.”

Computer terminals, a video camera and other equipment have been installed in Courtroom 30 of the Hall of Justice. Officials said the equipment will allow attorneys and the judge to follow testimony more easily and get transcripts immediately.

The system instantly transcribes the court reporter’s notes and shows them on computer screens set up at the bench and at the attorneys’ tables. The system allows attorneys or the judge to mark places in the testimony for future reference and to conduct searches for particular bits of testimony.

The instant transcription also permits the judge to rule on an objection without having the court reporter read back the attorney’s question.

Sheila Gonzalez, executive officer of the Superior and Municipal courts, said the system also will allow the deaf to follow court proceedings more easily.

Bob Schwenk, an official of Advanced Translations Technology, which installed the system, said it cost about $25,000 to equip the courtroom but will save the courts money in the long run.

Courtroom 30, where Superior Court Judge Edwin M. Osborne presides, currently handles mostly civil cases. But the equipment can be moved to other courts if necessary, officials said.