SMART Board technology comes to court in Montgomery County

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COURTHOUSE — One can't help but notice the latest arrival to a Montgomery County courtroom.As it's wheeled into place, jurors and spectators alike are wowed by its size and significance. The SMART Board, with an 87-inch screen and an estimated weight of about 1,000 pounds, is an impressive presence in the county's technological arsenal aimed at making the courtroom more efficient and interactive. "The use of technology and expanded use of technology has been an emphasis of our courts for the last several years," said Michael R. Kehs, the county's court administrator since 1999, adding the SMART Board acquisition is another component of the court system's ongoing technological advances. "Technology is not only the future of the courts but it's the present and we use it every single day."The portable board, loaned to the county on a trial basis by SMART Technologies Inc. at no cost to taxpayers, includes an interactive whiteboard with touchscreen capabilities. The board also can be used to play audio and video recordings, has video conferencing capabilities and is PowerPoint compatible. The SMART Board, which officials estimated to cost about $9,000, also allows the user to directly access the Internet and present real-time display of documents.

"I've been here long enough to know that the technology components have made a tremendous difference in the administration of justice and in the delivery of justice. I am a huge proponent of the use of technology in the courts," added Kehs, who praised lawyer Joel B. Bernbaum for bringing the SMART Board technology to the attention of court officials.While such technology is used widely in educational forums, Montgomery County is believed to be the first in Pennsylvania to use the SMART Board technology in the courtroom, according to county officials.The SMART Board has been used twice so far, during two criminal trials. Kehs said the feedback from users has been positive, a sign that using 21st Century technology in court was a smart move.Judge Garrett D. Page, whose courtroom was the first to utilize the SMART Board during a homicide trial earlier this year, described the experience as positive and effective."I think that other courts will start using it. I think the way courts are moving is technology-based," said Page, referring to the county's development of several high-tech courtrooms within the last decade. "I think this is just another progression of the high-tech courtrooms, but it's mobile. So, in addition to having just a stationary high-tech courtroom, you could have multiple high-tech courtrooms, at least to the extent that a SMART Board is a mobile unit, and it runs on wheels."Right now, the board, because of its size, can be used only on the third-floor of the courthouse where it is housed, it being too cumbersome to fit into a courthouse elevator without dismantling portions of it. Continued…

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