E-Courts

from the wiring-the-courts dept

An article from a law journal discussing a single "community court" in Brooklyn that is attempting to be technologically advanced by placing a computer on the desk of every judge. This way whenever a defendent is in front of the judge they can read all sorts of information about them. Some people aren't happy with the system for a variety of reasons. When a defendent is first brought in they have to take "an interview" via the computer, and some of the information may be unfairly used against them later. I can certainly see how the computer can be of some help to the judge, but I don't think it's that big a difference from the stacks of paper the judge used to get.