At a workshop Wednesday, county commissioners and elected officials discussed the ongoing project to wire the county’s two Superior Court courtrooms for electronic hearings, computer presentations and video recording and playback.
Kevin Gutierrez, county Technology Services director, reported that the first two pieces of the project are underway.
The first phase will install wiring in the courtrooms and the second will purchase and install the equipment to support audio and visual recording.
The third phase of the project, installation of cameras, video projectors, speakers and other equipment, will be done as funding becomes available.
Commissioners approved the contract for the wiring work at their Feb. 2 meeting. Doyle Electric was the lowest of three bidders on the project, with an offer of $6,592.27.
The purchase of the Jefferson Audio Visual Systems, Inc., equipment to support audio and visual recording was approved by commissioners at their Feb. 9 meeting. That will be purchased off an interlocal agreement with Pierce County, which is also contracting for the system, at a total price of $39,304.79, Gutierrez said.
Superior Court Judge John Lorhmann told commissioners the video conferencing system will eliminate the cost to transport adults held at the Washington State Penitentiary to court for hearings. It will also allow the same ability for juveniles held in the county Juvenile Detention Center.
The system will also allow court hearings to be recorded on video in place of a court reporter, as well as allow computer and video presentations to be projected onto screens in the courtrooms.
Commissioner Jim Johnson asked Lohrmann if the state might be willing to contribute to the cost of the project due to the cost savings for transporting prisoners, but Lohrmann said previous inquiries had indicated no.
However, Johnson said he would continue pursuing the issue and asked other officials to also look into it.
©2015 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
