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Magistrates preview cloud video system and plans for live‑streaming hearings
Summary
Justices of the peace described a cloud‑based 'Video Magistrate' system to permit remote magistrate appearances and provide a stream key for the county YouTube channel; the court discussed privacy, safety, and whether to use the county’s existing channel or a separate one.
Justice representatives told the court they are piloting a cloud‑based ‘Video Magistrate’ system that allows magistrates to connect defendants remotely and can also provide a stream key that links to the county’s YouTube channel. The software is intended to reduce in‑person time at the jail and to provide a mechanism to comply if magistrate hearings are required to be available to the public in the future.
Magistrates said the system is free for limited use and can be used to livestream hearings if the court requires that step; commissioners raised questions about safety and whether families or third parties might be able to view sensitive hearings. Staff said the system can be configured to link to the county’s existing commissioner court YouTube channel or a separate channel, and that technical details and costs will be coordinated with the county IT office.
"We're utilizing a program called Video Magistrate...Where it is a cloud‑based software to where we're able to, basically Zoom/FaceTime the defendant from wherever we're at," a magistrate said, saying the tool helps limit in‑person waiting at the jail while preserving access.
