Remote Access and Courtroom WiFi Pilot Project

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The nature of the criminal justice system is that many of the involved parties, including attorneys, jurors, and witnesses, experience significant downtime as a result of normal delays that occur in court. Members of the Los Angeles Public Defender (PD), and Alternate Public Defender (APD) sought to minimize the downtime and realize productivity gains through implementation of WiFi technology in the courtroom. Working together with the Information Systems Advisory Board (ISAB) and the Internal Services Department (ISD), they developed a pilot project for downtown Clara Shortridge-Foltz Criminal Justice Center, the largest and busiest criminal courthouse in Los Angeles County. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Information Office (CIO) supported the project and the Board of Supervisors provided funding from the County Information Technology Fund for WiFi coverage in the courthouse and WiFi-enabled devices for the participating departments. This technology now allows attorneys and investigators to have immediate access to each department’s case management systems, e-mail, documents, and a host of other legal research tools. Time once spent waiting in court or out in the field is now being put to use on productive activities. Additionally, the availability of accurate, real-time information helps judges and attorneys make effective decisions and streamline the process for the benefit of all in the criminal justice system.