eCourtrooms for Simpletons

Kimothy Taylor, Litigation Technologist

Winton Woods, Professor of Law

1) Pretrial Office Procedures

a) Depositions

i) Citations

ii) Creation of Clips

(1) text

(2) exhibit links

(3) video

(a) Converting to Video

(b) Displaying Full Screen

(c) Displaying with Scrolling Text

(d) Linking with Documents

b) Documents and Discovery

i) Organizing

(1) Databases

(2) CaseMap

ii) Bates Stamping

iii) Scanning

(1) outsource

(2) in-house

iv) Numbering Exhibits

v) Pre-treating

(1) Imaging for Windows Professional

(2) Microsoft Office Tools

(3) PaperPort 7

(4) Other Programs

vi) Bar-codes

(1) Outlines

(2) Placed on Exhibits

(3) Reports

(4) Individual Labels

c) Charts; Graphs, & Other Demonstratives

i) Creation

ii) Programs

(1) PowerPoint

(2) Word

(3) PaperPort

(4) Advanced Programs

iii) Jury Instructions

iv) Visualizations

2) eCourtroom Procedures and Tools

a) Trial Notebooks

b) Opening & Closing

i) Using PowerPoint

ii) Utilizing Depositions, Video, Documents & Demonstratives

iii) Incorporating Trial Testimony

iv) Incorporated Exhibits from Trial

v) Trial Presentation Programs

(1) Visionary

(2) Sanction

(3) Trial Director

(4) Trial Pro

c) Basic Technology Components in the eCourtrooms

i) Presentation Podiums

ii) Document camera

iii) Digital exhibits

iv) Boeckeler Pointmaker--[John Madden Pen]

v) Digital and video depositions

vi) Video recording and presentation

vii) Teleconferencing

d) Real-time and video court reporting

(1) digital transcript recording

(a) JAVS

(b) Audio

(2) Off time stenograph transcription

(3) Using Video Clips from Proceedings

(a) examination and cross examination

(b) closing argument

(c) appellate briefs

3) Courtroom technology: an overview

a) Three levels of technology

i) Level One technologies

(1) Evidence camera

(2) Laptop computer with retrieval and presentation

(3) Monitors outside the jury box

(4) Digital projector and projection screen

(5) Annotation equipment

(6) Color video printer

(7) Audio system

(8) System controls

(9) Legacy equipment

ii) Level Two technologies

(1) Small monitors built into the jury box

(2) Electronic whiteboard

(3) Integrated lectern

(4) Videoconference equipment

(5) Real-time reporting

(6) Digital audio reporting

(7) Internet connections

iii) Level Three technologies

(1) IPIX displays

(2) Virtual reality displays

(3) Holograms

(4) Large-scale video

4) Discovery

a) General problems in discovery involving technology

i) Discovery of documents, electronic and scanned from paper

ii) Requiring parties to exchange documents in digital form

iii) Cost issues

iv)Format issues

v) Compression issues

vi)Resolution issues

vii) Alteration of photographs as they become digital files

b) Discovery of video

i) video in digital format

ii) Format issues

iii) Compression issues

iv)Synchronization of deposition video to digitized text

v) Alteration of digital video as it is created

c) Digital format materials

i) Cost issues

ii) Alteration of digital format materials during discovery

d) Internet discovery repositories

e) Videoconferencing for pretrial matters

f) Other uses of technology by the court during pretrial

i) Visual displays during pretrial proceedings

ii) Pretrial educational materials

iii) Expert assistance in analyzing complex- technology or visual displays

5) Trial

a) Preliminary matters

i) Representations about equipment and testing

ii) Identification of operators

iii) Backup in case of equipment failure

b) Jury selection issues

i) Visual acuity

ii) Color blindness

iii) Hearing impairment

iv) Tolerance for television

c) Preliminary jury instructions

i) Orientation for jurors on the equipment

ii) Jury instructions on the screen

d) Opening statements

i) Use of bullet-point slides

ii) Preview of graphics with motion or sound

iii) Preview of static graphics

e) Real-time reporting

i) Judge monitor vs. participant monitors

ii) Untranslates

iii) Basic service uses

iv) Enhanced service uses

v) Transcript uses

vi) Cost sharing

f) Video conferencing witness testimony

g) Use of illustrative aids during trial

i) Direct examination

ii) Cross-examination

iii) Delivery of copies

iv)Record copies

v) Objections to evidentiary exhibits

(1) Evidence shown electronically vs. evidence that is electronic in nature

(2) Completeness objection

(3) Unfairness objection

vi) Objections to illustrative aids

(1) Unfairness objection

(2) Leading objection

(3) Argumentative objection

(4) Narrative testimony objection

(5) Assuming facts not in evidence objection

(6) Foundation (unsupported opinion objection

(7) Lay opinion objection

(8) Objections to digitally altered photographs

(9) Objections to computer animations

h) Closing argument

i) Final jury instructions

j) Jury review of computer-generated materials

k) Post trial briefs

i) Computer-generated illustrations in briefs

6) Digital format briefs