The Coronavirus: How are Courts Coping with the Crisis? April 16, 2020 Episode

Court Leader's Advantage

The Nation continues to face the desolation caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The profound impact of this health calamity continues to bear down on the courts, court staff, our collaborative partners and court users. As part of our continuing weekly podcast series focusing on how courts are coping with the Coronavirus crisis, we look at how courts are turning to technology to help maintain operations.

Before the crisis, virtual hearings were a minor part of the court operations landscape. Now they are being aggressively explored as one solution to help keep courts up and running. How effective are they? What are the benefits and drawbacks? What do we need to watch out for? This week’s panelists relate their courts’ experiences with virtual hearings on platforms including, Microsoft Teams, Skype, GoToMeeting, WebEx, Zoom, CourtCall, JAVS, and CourtSmart.

Our panelists talk about which virtual hearing platforms courts are using. They discuss security concerns, court rules and state laws, public access, creating the record, and technical problems they have encountered and overcome. Finally, they consider the question “Will this crisis mark a cultural shift in courts’ acceptance of virtual hearings in the future?”

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Our Panelists

Mark A. Weinberg is the Court Administrator for the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Daytona Beach, Florida. Prior to his current position, he was an administrator with the court in Maricopa County, Arizona. He holds a bachelor's degree in public administration from James Madison University and a master's degree in judicial administration from the University of Denver.

Richard J. Pierce is the Judicial Programs Administrator of the Judicial District Operations and Programs Department, at the Pennsylvania Administrative Office of the Courts. Prior to his current position, he was the district court administrator for Cumberland County. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, and received his Masters in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.

Elizabeth Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University.

Michael Roddy is the Executive Officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County. Prior to his current position he served as the California Administrative Office of the Courts’Regional Administrative Director for the Northern/Central Region, and was Executive Officer of the Sacramento Superior Court.

Zenell Brown has garnered respect both as Executive Court Administrator for the Third Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan, and for her ethical leadership and innovation. Zenell has a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School, a Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate from Central Michigan University, a Court Administration Certificate from Michigan State University, and is a Certified Diversity Professional from National Diversity Council-DiversityFirst.