Black and white courtroom with dark blue overlay

Judicial Branch of Arizona Implements For The Record’s Virtual Justice Solution

For The Record is pleased to announce the launch of its Virtual Justice platform with a successful roll out for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County.

Virtual Justice combines the security of Microsoft Teams with For The Record’s industry leading solutions for capturing, managing, and distributing recordings of court proceedings to address the needs of court users appearing remotely as a result of COVID-19. For The Record worked closely with Maricopa County Judges and Court Administration executives to ensure the unique challenges of the court and public were implemented.

“The COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges to provide critical services to the public and meet our mandated obligations in a way that is safe for both our employees and the public”, noted Raymond L. Billotte, Judicial Branch Administrator.  “The use of on-line platforms like Virtual Justice provides a safe and secure means to facilitate the work of our Court and increase the public’s access to the services they require without the need to be physically present in the Courtroom.”

With Virtual Justice, courts can now leverage the capabilities of Teams to conduct proceedings while automatically capturing the court record in For The Record’s proprietary format. Capture is made possible by recording the proceedings in each virtual courtroom, which are then instantaneously made available in For The Record’s web application. The solution allows parties to move to private meeting rooms (i.e. bench conferences) and invite the recorder as needed. It also integrates directly with the court’s case management system, which automates calendar scheduling and hearing invite creation and doesn’t disrupt everyday court processes. Virtual Justice is simple, easy- to-use and allows participants to join with or without a Teams account using any web device or a standard phone.

The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County has gone live with fifteen judges and over 100 court staff using Virtual Justice, with more coming online in the approaching weeks.