Public Notice Detail

ELK RIVER, MN (April 30, 2002) – Sherburne County District Court will unveil the first state-of-the-art trial environment in the State Court System next week.  The new “e-courtroom” is meant to make the court more connected, efficient and accountable.

“Our new 21st Century courtroom looks more like a television studio than any place Perry Mason set foot,” said District Court Judge Alan Pendleton.

A public open house will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7, 2002.  A special recognition ceremony for the Sherburne County Board and other project supporters will begin at 12:15 p.m.

The courtroom features sleek, flat-screen monitors at the judge’s bench, witness stand, jury box, attorneys’ tables, court reporter stations and the audience area.  They will allow court participants to easily view evidence, photographs, videos and computer presentations.

Interactive television links the courtroom to an adjoining witness/victim room for off-site testimony and to the Sherburne County Jail Video Visitation Center.  The courtroom is equipped to handle real-time reporting, giving judges and attorneys immediate records of court testimony on their video screens.  Also included are hearing enhancement devices for the hearing impaired and a centralized sound system with electronic audio recording.  A juror-friendly classroom environment will facilitate note taking and easy-to-understand evidence presentation.

“This state-of-the-art equipment and cutting edge technology will trim court times, court costs and complications for court customers,” Judge Pendleton said.  “It will allow high tech litigation proceedings that can cut civil and criminal case trial times up to 25 percent.”

Attorneys will operate the easy-to-use equipment from a central evidence cart that will contain an overhead projector, VCR, DVD, audio playback unit and computer terminal.

The system’s master controls will be located at the judge’s bench.  This would be useful, for instance, if an attorney wants to introduce evidence to the jury, but the judge must first determine whether the evidence is appropriate.  Using the master controls, the judge can simply turn off jury monitors while making the decision and alleviate the need to send jurors out of the courtroom.

The new e-courtroom is part of a recent multi-phase remodeling project at the Sherburne County Government Center.  The District Court’s existing three courtrooms are expected to undergo remodeling in a later phase of the project to better handle the court demands of the expanding suburban county.