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Order in the e-Court!
theodp writes "Every word spoken in the e-Courtroom where Branden Basham is on trial for his life appears immediately before the judge on a computer screen. There's a flat-screen monitor between every two seats in the jury box, a witness-box monitor with touch-screen features, and large-screen monitors for public viewing. Lawyers say e-Courtrooms help reduce trial time by making evidence display and tracking documents more efficient. 'It made the Chadrick Fulks' case three to five days shorter,' said an Assistant U.S. Attorney, referring to Basham's co-defendant, who plead guilty and was sentenced to death."
one of the most basic rights americans have is the right to face the accuser. the monitor, or any technology like that is one more obstical between the witness and the accused takes away that right. the accused has a right to be in the courthouse with the witness, to watch them, to see how they respond, to ask questions. there is a human element that defense lawyers have, they are expert at understanding body language. having monitors instead of people in the same room would make it easier to lie.
Come and say hi. http://forum.penpals.com/index.php
It is amazing that a country so technologically advanced can be primitive enough to still have the death penalty.