Media Technology and the Courts: The Case of Closed Circuit Video Arraignments in Miami,Florida

Abstract

The normative and policy implications of introducing video technologies into the courtroom are analyzed in this work. Examining video misdemeanor arraignments conducted in Miami's Eleventh Judicial Circuit, reveals a dis ruption of normative expectations within the courtroom, especially on the part of public defenders. Such latent consequences suggest that some defendants may not be getting the full benefit of constitutionally guaranteed due process protections. They also suggest an increased depersonalization of courtroom interactions and the possibility of negatively altered perceptions upon the part of courtroom actors and public onlookers. Because these percep tions affect the legitimacy with which courtroom procedures are held, the policy implications of introducing video technologies, along the lines of this study's findings, require careful consideration.