The cyber courtroom of the future will include videoconferences from scattered locations, Internet court filings, computer-simulated exhibits and digital evidence, electronically stored documents, and transcripts on CD-ROM - and, maybe one day, the paperless trial.
At the Delaware County Courthouse in Media, witnesses as far away as Ireland and Germany appear on a television screen via video teleconferencing.
In Orlando, Fla., trials at the county courthouse are broadcast live over the Internet.
The U.S. Supreme Court opened a Web site this week at http://www. supremecourtus.gov to provide public access to its decisions, argument calendars and other information.
Courts in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs, New Jersey and Delaware are experimenting with technology to speed trials, save money, and handle the rising volume of cases more efficiently.
"You can definitely say Pennsylvania is a leader," said James E. McMillan, director of the court-technology laboratory at the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg, Va. "Innovation is alive and well" in New Jersey, and "Delaware has always been there" at the forefront of legal technology, McMillan said.
More courts now accept electronic filing of lawsuits and paperless record keeping.
"I can't begin to tell you how much paper we've saved, and how many trees did not have to be cut down, because of e-mail," said President Judge Alex Bonavitacola of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. He used to stuff 90 memos into 90 envelopes to be hand-delivered to his judges. Now, with a mouse click, the memos are sent instantaneously.
Most courts have their own Web sites where taxpayers can look up real estate assessments, civil cases, deed information, and judges' opinions.
