Deck 15: The Electronic Courtroom

Question 1

The ________ should be contacted ahead of time to learn the policy and procedures for bringing everything into the courthouse and setting it up.

A) judge's secretary
B) security office
C) judge's law clerk
D) judge

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Electronic equipment in the courtroom may include:

A) document camera, annotation monitor and interpreter box.
B) microphones and a wide screen television in the jury box.
C) tape recorders, IPods, and cell phones.
D) a video presentation cart and overhead projector.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The U.S.District for the District of South Carolina,opened its first fully ________ courtrooms at the Matthew J.Perry,Jr.Federal Courthouse in Columbia,South Carolina.

A) electronic
B) refurbished
C) hearing impaired
D) accessible

Answer 3

A

Question 4

An annotation monitor allows a witness to

A) delete or change their testimony.
B) make marks on the screen with their finger.
C) type in text to comment on the testimony.
D) make objections to a question.

Question 5

A connection into which a laptop may be plugged is:

A) a VCR or DVD port.
B) a plug-in.
C) an outlet.
D) a laptop port.

Question 6

If a key piece of presentation equipment fails in the middle of trial,the trial team should assume

A) the judge will instruct the jury to disregard technology-related errors.
B) under the rules of procedure, a continuance will be granted until it is replaced or repaired.
C) back-up equipment can be provided by the courthouse technology staff.
D) the judge may continue the trial regardless of the failure.

Question 7

The ________ or ________ offices should be the first place to go or contact if any technology will be needed or used in the courthouse.

A) court clerk; court secretary
B) court personnel; court clerk
C) senior partner; junior partner
D) IT; technical support

Question 8

The technology staff at the courthouse

A) are often helpful, but limited in the services they can offer.
B) often have specialized knowledge and extensive experience.
C) can help with resources throughout the building, but know little about each judge's preferences.
D) will always speak in terms the legal team can understand.

Question 9

Even when it is known the courtroom is "wired," the legal team should:

A) check for the judge's preferences.
B) check with the courthouse personnel for security clearance.
C) check for compatibility with their equipment.
D) all the above

Question 10

The ________ on using presentation graphics are determined by the equipment in the courtroom.

A) limitations
B) images
C) features
D) power

Question 11

The trial team can assume that taking equipment through courthouse security

A) seldom happens quickly and smoothly.
B) is usually a short and painless experience.
C) can be accomplished without conferring with court staff.
D) should never be attempted.

Question 12

________ are strategically placed around the courtroom,for example,on the judge's bench,witness stand,the courtroom deputy,and each of the counsel tables and the jury box.

A) TV cameras
B) Microphones
C) Video monitors
D) Tape recorders

Question 13

In many "wired" courtrooms,a judge may maintain ultimate control of a video presentation by using a:

A) "kill switch"
B) bench-mounted monitor
C) "2-in-1-out switch"
D) remote control

Question 14

Courthouse ________ can make the technology in the courtroom process flow smoothly and help solve problems.

A) filing clerks
B) stenographers
C) security staff
D) technology staff

Question 15

The visual presentation cart is also known as the:

A) TV cart
B) visual presentation cart
C) media center
D) audio visual center

Question 16

If things do not go as planned,it is important to have a backup plan for producing hard copies of:

A) briefs and depositions.
B) graphs and charts.
C) briefs and cases.
D) statutes and depositions.

Question 17

If a courtroom appears to be fully equipped with the latest audio and visual presentation technology,

A) it is usually not necessary for the trial team to bring their own presentation equipment.
B) most laptops today have all the connections necessary to interface with nearly any display equipment.
C) the trial team should confirm that their hardware and software is compatible.
D) the trial team should modify their presentation to fully utilize every type of technology available.

Question 18

A presentation electronics device used in court to assist listening for the hearing impaired is:

A) an interpreter box.
B) a document camera.
C) infrared headphones.
D) a laptop port.

Question 19

As judicial budgets allow,courtrooms are being outfitted with ________ and ________ presentation systems.

A) audiovisual; software
B) computers; audiovisual
C) audiovisual; graphics
D) computers; software

Question 20

Once the trial begins,the trial team's outside technology consultants

A) are barred from assisting the team in the courtroom.
B) should be involved in making sure the presentation goes ahead smoothly.
C) usually have little offer in the way of assistance during trial.
D) are redundant, since the courthouse staff provides sufficient support.

Question 21

The basic electronic courtroom uses a computer projector,a projection screen,and a laptop computer.

Question 22

Courtrooms are now being outfitted with computers and audiovisual presentation systems,as judicial budgets will allow.

Question 23

Everybody on the trial team should be comfortable with the operation and use of the technological equipment before the start of trial.

Question 24

____________ allows a defendant to appear remotely in criminal courts for video arraignments.

Question 25

Some judges may not approve of any large-screen displays,while others may think a large-projection screen is appropriate.

Question 26

Most courts are prohibited from providing technology training.

Question 27

The basic ________ courtroom uses a computer projector,a projection screen,and a laptop computer.

Question 28

An ________ refers to a courtroom equipped with electronic equipment for use in trial presentations.

Question 29

The types of electronic equipment available can vary,even among rooms within the same courthouse.

Question 30

In most traditional courtrooms,litigants use easels or display boards,blackboards or erasable whiteboards.

Question 31

The _______ support office should be the first place to contact if any technology will be needed in the courthouse.

Question 32

The court's technical support office has specialized knowledge that has developed from working in their area of expertise on a daily basis.

Question 33

A video monitor conveniently located in the courtroom that is large enough for all to see the graphics displayed is called a ____________

Question 34

The court's technical support office should only be contacted by attorneys as a last resort in the event that they cannot obtain information elsewhere.

Question 35

The court's security office should be contacted ahead of time to learn the courthouse's policy and procedures for bringing equipment in and setting it up.

Question 36

Just as some trial attorneys are not comfortable using multimedia presentation tools,some judges may feel that multimedia technology detracts from the ultimate task of reviewing the facts to make a judgment.

Question 37

A trial attorney should not have an IT specialist,or somebody trained in using the technology,at counsel table.

Question 38

Predictive coding can give the court the ability to cut off the video display by temporarily blacking it out.

Question 39

Courtrooms generally do not have support personnel who are available to assist the members of the litigation team in the use of the technology available in the courtroom or the courthouse.

Question 40

Most judges continue to reject the use of technology and computer systems for presentations in the courtroom.

Question 41

_______ headphones refer to an assisted listening device for the hearing impaired.

Question 42

It is highly recommended that the _____ office be contacted ahead of time to learn the courthouse's policy and procedures for bringing equipment in and setting it up.

Question 43

A connection into which a laptop may be plugged is called a laptop __________.

Question 44

Matching

Question 45

Although Kate Sandberg was a seasoned trial attorney,she had never conducted a trial in federal district court.And although she had occasionally presented video depositions at trial,this was the first case she had handled that required a projector,laptops,audio equipment,and other electronic gear to be brought into court for presentation.She was also aware of the tight security at the federal district court.What precautions should she take to avoid any unnecessary problems on the day of the beginning of trial?

Question 46

Describe the elements of the electronic courtroom.

Question 47

A monitor that allows a witness to easily make on-screen annotations with the touch of a finger is called an _________________.

Question 48

Describe how Court Staff can Assist the Legal Team with Using Electronic Resources in the Courthouse.

Question 49

An ________ box routes language translations from an interpreter to the witness/defendant's headphones or the courtroom's public address system.

Question 50

A media center located in the courtroom is called a __________ presentation cart.

Question 51

Immediately after the defense attorney for Greenway Chemical finished her opening statement,a lightning strike caused a temporary power failure throughout the courthouse.Although power was restored within a few minutes,the sudden shutdown of Jack Parsons' laptop damaged its hard drive,which contained the entire trial presentation.The laptop could not be rebooted,and the hard drive was permanently destroyed.All of the necessary files still existed on the file server back at the office,but it would take several hours to obtain a new computer,find a secure Internet connection,and upload the files.In chambers,Jack explained the situation,but the judge refused to grant a continuance or a recess.What could Jack have done to avoid this disaster?

Question 52

The trial date is rapidly approaching,and Jack Parsons and his team have met to discuss what software and display technologies they should use to present their case.They know that some of the expert testimony would need to be presented in video form,and the jury would need to be shown charts and graphs to help them understand the scientific evidence.In his many years as a trial lawyer,Jack was familiar with most of the judges and courtrooms in their local jurisdiction.Unfortunately,the case had been removed from their local court to a new judge in another jurisdiction on the opposite side of the state.In this other court system,the facilities varied from courtroom to courtroom.Some were equipped with monitors,while others had nothing more than power outlets in the walls.Jack also had no idea what was available in their assigned courtroom.What steps should the trial team take at this point before they proceed further with their planning?

Question 53

Increasingly,judges are embracing the use of _______ and computer systems for presentations in the courtroom as judges realize that these tools can enhance the speedy administration of justice.

Question 54

Jack Parsons' trial team planned to develop a state-of-the-art multimedia presentation combining the use of graphics,video testimony,and other technologies to present their case.However,other than the occasional video deposition,the new judge assigned to the Greenway Chemical case had never presided over a case that utilized a computer presentation as advanced as that envisioned by Jack and his team.He was wary of "losing control" of his courtroom and having a decision overturned on appeal because the jury was exposed to inadmissible evidence.What assurances can the trial team give the judge,and what technological solution can be incorporated into the courtroom technology?