Video link frustrates court progress
HMP Northward
(CNS): Ongoing technical problems with the video-link between HMP Northward and the courts frustrated progress on Friday when prisoners were unable to hear what was being said in the courtroom. Jose Sanchez from West Bay, who is facing gun charges, stormed off after he was unable to hear his lawyer or the judge during his appearance. Attorneys also raised concerns that their clients should not be entering pleas via video link and requested that clients are brought to court.
Although frequently problematic, the issue on Friday was particularly troublesome. Although the acting judge, Justice Malcolm Swift, raised his voice significantly, the defendants and officers at HMP Northward at the other end of the link were barely able to hear. Expressing his frustrations with the link, the judge agreed that some defendants would have to be brought to court before cases could progress.
Sanchez, who is on remand, is charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm alongside Ashley Leticha Terry, who is on bail but charged with aiding and abetting in the same case. As a result of the technical difficulties, neither case was able to advance and new mention dates were set for both defendants.
The case against Dan Kelly, who is set to stand trial for robbery, also failed to advance because he could not hear and could not enter his anticipated not guilty pleas for the record. An order was made for an additional mention date for him to appear in person later this month.
The goal of the video link was to reduce costs and improve security but technical difficulties with the equipment appear to be increasing the number of hearings defendants must attend, which defeats the purpose.
CNS reached out to the home affairs ministry and the courts about the difficulties and Court Administrator Kevin McCormac acknowledged the problems on Friday. But he said the system often works well, increasing efficiency, and the courts are hoping the latest difficulties will be resolved very soon.
“Friday was certainly a bad experience and the system is not without its problems. However, we are working with the prison staff to identify the causes,” he explained. “There have certainly been times when it has worked properly and video link is used extensively in all our courts in both criminal and civil proceedings from all over the world and is usually very effective.”
Maybe I can solve this problem but first – did the same people that are monitoring the camera system on our roads: install the Court cameras too?
Maybe still on dial up bandwidth (Insert annoying connection noises HERE)? Do yourself a favor, go with LIME’s fiber highest speed plan, that should at least get you audio – How embarrassing…lol…
Surely the lags can use their illegal phones to Facetime the judge?
Stormed off? Why would the defendant have the choice to storm off? The only thing Mr. Sanchez should be allowed to do is to stand up, sit down, stand still and stand still some more. Mr. Sanchez has no right to storm off. Where does he think he is, somewhere on vacation?
I wonder if anyone tried to see if it worked after he stamped away.
Question is what’s the problem? Is it hardware, bandwidth paid for or bandwidth received? (Or are they on a dedicated line?)
Who knows maybe the signal is being jammed.
There is this thing called Skype. Works great.
Must be Logic trying to do the video link, does the picture just freeze and go blank with a message saying “No AV” ?