The Electronic Courtroom

We present to you common setups and configurations of technology in the courtroom.

Introduction to the Electronic Courtroom

Our "Electronic Courtroom" starts off with a projector, a projection screen, and a laptop - components that can be easily set up by anyone. Any additional complexity is based on the needs of the litigation and the parties involved.

As time has progressed, more courtrooms have integrated AV components for presentations. Common places for connections into the system are the lectern and counsel's table.

Regardless of the setup, a basic understanding of how an electronic courtroom works will make your entry into this arena more comfortable; however, every courtroom is different. Electrical outlet locations, jury and witness sightlines, and counsel table positioning can vary. It is best to visit the room days (or weeks) before your trial to get an idea of the layout.

The following scenarios contain simple schematics and explain different components employed in the courtroom. Thumbnails can be expanded for a larger view.

Additional Notes

These diagrams are not commerical specifications. They are generic layouts used to illustrate the relationship between components.

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Courtroom Setup A: Projector and A/B Switch

Court layout with projector and A/B switch
Courtroom Setup A: Projector and A/B Switch

In its most basic form, this is how a courtroom might be set up. A laptop is connected to a main projector and a screen is viewable by the jury.

This setup allows both counsel parties to simultaneously share the projector via the 2-in, 1-out video switch shown in the Courtroom Setup A diagram. With each side's laptop plugged into an input, this video switch controls which laptop image is projected onto the screen.

Audio can be fed into the courtroom's PA system or played from speakers plugged into your laptop. The courtroom's PA system is probably the preferred way, but using compact speakers doesn't mean you have to compromise on sound. Quality audio can be achieved through a range of products starting with desktop speakers, such as the Bose Companion Series, all the way to studio-quality speaker monitors from companies such as Roland. The courtroom acoustics will play a major factor in the audio quality. Once again, it's best to find these answers before it's time to present your case.

Courtroom Setup A requires:

Additional Notes

Like any other technology, pricing varies from year to year. It's been our experience that an investment of $2,000-$2,500 is what you can expect for just the basic equipment necessary. If your needs don't justify the cost, perhaps renting the equipment is a more viable option.

We recommend the following companies and products for your needs:

2-In, 1-Out Switcher

2-in, 1-out switch
MX2106AV 2-in, 1-out switch

The Altinex MX2106AV 2-In, 1-Out Switcher accepts two different VGA sources and outputs to one VGA destination. This allows counsel and opposing counsel to stay connected (via inputs) and simultaneously share the projector (connected to the output).

Projectors and Screens

We have always used Mitsubishi projectors for our courtroom presentation needs. At the minimum, make sure the projector can display a rate of 3,000 lumens. A lumen is a measurement of light output in relation to the candela unit or "candlepower." In other words, it's how bright the projector's image can get. The higher the number, the brighter the image.

For years, our best resource has been The Projector People in Florida. Our contact, Sarah Buss, has worked with many of our clients providing high-quality projectors and screens at very competitive prices.

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Courtroom Setup B: Kill Switch Addition

Court layout with kill switch
Courtroom Setup B: Kill Switch Addition

The judge may require the ability to "kill" the video display (by temporarily blacking out the video). This is easily accomplished by introducing a second video switch between your first video switch and the projector. This is relatively the same configuration as Setup A except that the judge has ultimate control over whether or not an image gets sent to the projector.

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Courtroom Setup C: Monitor Addition

Court layout with additional monitors
Courtroom Setup C: Monitor Addition

This next diagram looks more complicated than it actually is. Building off of the same components used in the previous layouts, this setup allows multiple monitors to be hooked up to the same feed that the projector gets courtesy of a 1-in, 6-out distribution amplifier. Since these monitors will not be viewable from the jury, this feed is not controlled by the judge's killswitch.

The installation should take only a few hours assuming all the hardware is available. You will need:

Example of a 2-in, 6-out device
DA1506RT 2-in, 6-out Distribution Amplifier

Additional Notes

Although the DA1506RT shows two inputs in the picture, you will only be using one in this setup. It's interesting to note that older models only came with one input. The only difference between older models and newer models (as far as our use is concerned) is strictly cosmetic.

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Courtroom Setup D: Jury Flat Panel Addition

Court layout with jury flat panels
Courtroom Setup D: Jury Flat Panel Addition

This diagram depicts the use of jury flat panels in conjunction with a projector. This setup takes into consideration the additional monitors added in Setup C.

Using Setup C as our template, we introduce two additional 1-in, 6-out amps for the jury monitors. After the judge's killswitch, we place one distribution amp to feed the signal to both the projector and the third distribution amp. This third amp will then feed the signal to the jury's monitors. Because these amps sit on the output side of the judge's killswitch, their signal is affected by the judge's action.

Each of these setups depicted above, does not include additional equipment such as an ELMO (Document Camera) or VCR/DVD inputs. Often times, simply adding another 2-in, 1-out switch prior to the projector’s switch will allow you to add additional devices. In the next schematic, we'll add an ELMO into the mix.

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Courtroom Setup E: Elmo Addition

Court layout with ELMO
Courtroom Setup E: Elmo Addition

Altinex has a device specifically for trial presentation that will allow up to three iput devices and six distributed output signals: the MT2426CV Trial Presentation Switcher.

3-in, 6-out device
MT2426CV 3-in, 6-out device
1-in, 6-out device
MX2456RM, 6-in, 1out device

We use these specific units in our consulting practices. They are especially handy in cases with multiple counsel teams. These devices allow multiple input sources with minimal hardware usage.

If three inputs is all you needs, the MT2426CV is simple and compact; however, the 6-in, 1-out MX2456RM is a little larger but still easy to manage. A combination of both may be required if you're in a situation such as multiple litigation teams using multiple input devices (i.e. laptops, ELMO document cameras, VCR/DVD players).

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Conclusion: The Electronic Courtroom

With a little planning, you can easily address your electronic presentation needs. Start off with a basic setup and build from that point. This will allow you to address your visual needs in more manageable steps by devising the "flow" of your signal. Besides best practices and an education in the technology available to you, we cannot stress how important it is to know the environment of the courtroom where you'll be presenting.

The more you know about the settings, the more organized and efficient you'll be.

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