Increased Faith in Court System Follows More Video Hearings

Video hearings surge in New York courts, helping alleviate security risks
The New York Daily News by Oren Yaniv  - EXCLUSIVE  -  April 10, 2011

Renato Seabra (left), who is charged with 2nd-degree murder in the murder of Portuguese journalist Carlos Castro in a Times Square hotel, appears on a screen via video at his arraignment. More and more court hearings are becoming viewings - with video technology beaming defendants into appearances, especially in Brooklyn. "It's the future of how courts are being run," said Justice Barry Kamins, administrative justice of Brooklyn Supreme Court, where video conferences nearly tripled in two years. "It's a win-win." There were 864 video-linked appearances in Brooklyn Supreme Court last year, the Department of Correction said. There were 353 in Manhattan, 331 in the Bronx, 21 in Queens and just one on Staten Island. Two years earlier, only 302 such hearings took place in Brooklyn, none in Manhattan, eight in the Bronx and six in Queens. The upswing began in 2009, partly to prevent an outbreak of swine flu from spreading - but video conference hearings have been allowed since the mid-1990s. If the inmate consents, they can be used for most proceedings - except trials and sentencing and plea hearings. Brooklyn is doing it more often because of technology, in part. The courthouse that opened in 2004 has many rooms with monitors and cameras. Most rooms in the older Manhattan Supreme Court and Queens Supreme Court lack the high-tech upgrades. Bronx Supreme Court opened in 2008 but has been plagued by construction and structural problems. And Staten Island Supreme Court lacks video apparatus. Every jail on Rikers Island, except the one housing sentenced men, has a teleconference facility. "It is helpful, since reducing inmate movement can reduce the security risks of transporting inmates," Correction Department spokesman Stephen Morello said. He added that video hearings haven't cut costs yet because there aren't enough to eliminate entire bus runs between the prison and the courts. On Friday, 12 defendants appeared via video in one Brooklyn courtroom. Each hearing lasted a few minutes, with lawyers updating the case status and scheduling another court date. "It seems like an efficient way of doing things," legal aid lawyer Marianna Lowenfeld said. Defense lawyers said some inmates prefer the trip from Rikers to see a judge, whether to break the routine of prison life or to see relatives in the courtroom. Others prefer a video hearing to avoid early wakeup calls or the glare of victims' loved ones. Accused cop killer George Villanueva last week opted for a video conference for his next court appearance in the death of Officer Alain Schaberger. The decision drew the ire of police union chief Patrick Lynch, who plans to pack the courtroom with cops. "We will be here," Lynch said. "I think he should be here." oyaniv@nydailynews.com