Effective March 25, 2020, New York City Criminal Court initiated its second phase of videoconferencing arraignments. Going forward, all parties will participate in court proceedings by videoconferencing. All arraignments will be virtual, with the Judge, prosecution and defense attorney and defendant all from remote locations. Photo courtesy of the New York Unified Court System
COVID-19 forced many federal judges to break out their ring lights and livestream court proceedings. In March 2020, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act waived videoconferencing prohibitions in federal courts to allow public access to the courts during a global health emergency. But while that exemption will eventually expire, some judges are already developing processes to continue remote access.
During the July 14 Legalweek(year) keynote judges’ panel, U.S. District Judge William Matthewman of the Southern District of Florida said he wasn’t familiar with Zoom prior to COVID-19, but soon became well acquainted with the platform and discovered its efficiency.
