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CASE STUDY

Sutter County Superior Courthouse

Using Modern Technology to Create a Seamless Courthouse Experience

The Client

 

sutter court logo

 

Sutter County Superior Court was originally established in the State of California back in 1850. In 2016 the courthouse consolidated all court services from three locations to one, resulting in a complete courthouse experience. Located in Yuba City, CA—it’s widely considered one of California’s premiere historic landmark county courthouses. Their stated mission is to resolve disputes assuring that individuals are not deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or denied equal protection of the law.

 

 

The Challenge

Sutter County Superior Court handles a number of case types including: civil, criminal, family court, and more. However, out-of-date technology was causing disruptions and inefficiencies within the courthouse where hearings are held, both in-person and remote, due to COVID-19. 

One of the main issues the court had to address immediately was their lack of ability to conduct court hearings for remote participants. Considering factors like social distancing, travel bans, capacity limitations and more, Sutter Court was faced with a number of challenges in the effort to comply with the CDC’s recommended health and safety guidelines.

In addition to revamping the system to ease the concerns of the pandemic, there were a number of other problems, including microphone issues, outdated cameras, and improperly installed audio equipment.

All participants of the courthouse including jurors, witnesses, counsel, and the judge needed to stay actively involved in proceedings—especially with ongoing pandemic concerns. 

Sutter Court and Spinitar, a Solutionz, Inc. company, sought to modernize all courtrooms with new cameras, video conferencing components, streaming capabilities, and multi-window processors in the effort  to improve litigation efficiencies for both remote and local participants.

The Approach

Spinitar won the project based on a design by Spinitar’s System Engineer, John Neal, who was able to match the client’s scope of work while achieving a fine balance of cost effectiveness and superior quality. Sutter Court worked with Spinitar to integrate new audiovisual components to support remote and local courtroom capabilities. They sought to upgrade cameras, improve audio functionality, and enhance overall streaming video quality. 

Spinitar proposed using high definition video so that jury members could have a complete and accurate visual representation of the courtroom. Other recommendations included updating video conferencing systems, media pedestal capabilities, and security camera systems. Each of these features would drastically improve both in-person and remote courtroom hearings.

The project would also increase the scalability of remote courtroom proceedings while simultaneously bringing AV technologies up-to-date. Automating camera selection and enhanced streaming capabilities were the main drivers in improving courtroom efficiency while creating a beneficial experience for all participants.

Court System AV

Spinitar was absolutely on top of their game, always helping us out and doing an excellent job at everything we asked them to do — whether it was maintenance, installation, the general design, or the little added features that we’ve asked for — Spinitar has always gone above and beyond, creating the system that we needed to the tee.

A.J. Guzman

IT Analyst, Sutter Superior Court

The Solution

Spinitar created advanced programming via a Crestron Control System to automate a dynamic AV feed for distribution within the building, and to the media, using an Extron multi-window processor with Vaddio Cameras, Lifesize Video Conferencing, and attorney laptop presentations. Microphone cues were also programmed to trigger camera presets that result in a video feed that automatically shows the people speaking alongside any presentation content.

Spinitar redesigned the courthouse control system to simplify operation and provide more visibility of current phone & video connections. An upgrade to Lifesize Codecs and the implementation of Lifesize Cloud Services allows simple scheduling and conferencing with any system or web participant.

Spinitar optimized the existing Biamp audio processors to provide significantly better audio quality with much more consistent levels whether someone leaned back from or yelled into a microphone. Automated cameras were also installed to switch between talking individuals in the courtroom — Each of the cameras are programmed to adapt to the various court scenarios, depending on seating arrangements and requirements.

The project successfully stayed on budget using affordable yet high-quality audiovisual components. The result was a harmonious courtroom experience that allowed individuals to participate in proceedings at a remote or local level. Furthermore, the IT department was able to address all issues remotely without having to enter the courtroom. The newly installed technology allowed employees to schedule courtroom hearings in a faster and more efficient manner.

Sutter County Superior Court can now hold courtroom proceedings that allow remote and local attendees to actively participate. All courtrooms are now fully capable of streaming live trials via updated video conferencing and enhanced audio functionality. The newly designed courtrooms surpassed expectations and the client declared the project, “an absolute success.”

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