County Courtroom | Technology Updates

Another Minnesota County and Judicial District Court Joins the List of Successful Courtroom Technology Upgrades for iSpace Environments.

The outdated technology at this county courtroom provided limited capacity for audio, no capacity for visual content sharing and difficult operations within the courtroom. The technology experts at iSpace were awarded the contract and immediately stepped in to help improve the courtroom experience and controls.

As the need for courtroom interpreters has increased, there is an increasing challenge to have interpreters physically attend courtroom sessions. Multiple courts throughout the state have turned to iSpace to implement Distance Court Interpretation (DCI).

DCI allows non-English speakers to have access to interpreter services without the interpreter needing to be on site, which can save time and money for the court. To achieve remote interpreting, iSpace partnered with Biamp to install a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which eliminates the delays, echoes, loops and interruption in audio service that can be present via other systems. The DSP integrates with the phone and computer systems providing smooth communication from offsite interpreters, enabling court proceedings without unwanted interruptions.

Courtrooms are often designed with interiors that present unique obstacles for technology updates. Wayne Lusthoff II, Technology Account Manager of iSpace noted, “the most difficult challenge in courtroom A/V upgrades is working with the existing millwork of the dais.” Typically, the judge, court reporter, court clerk and witness are positioned on a raised platform with the desk being partially made of a Kevlar material for the safety of the court. “To run cabling through these materials takes additional time and attention–and often imaginative solutions.”

Additional improvements include the use of a Crestron Control Panel which provides the judge intuitive control over microphones, speakers and visual displays.

This collection of new technologies all ties back to one equipment rack–which could easily be a confusing mess of wires–but, the customer points out, “the tech rack organization by iSpace is amazing…arranged neatly and effectively labeled.” Smartly planned and executed cabling like this helps to ensure troubleshooting or future upgrades for these courtrooms will be a breeze.