Case Study: Elkhart County

Judge’s gavel

Courtroom tradition meets technology innovation

When the pandemic halted court proceedings in Elkhart County, Indiana, officials had to get in front of a potential backlog across its nine courtrooms. Last year, the county upgraded to a secure Cisco network to easily hear cases remotely via Webex. This allowed Elkhart County to not just recover and adjust in the face of change, but to thrive.

Summary

Courtroom door

Challenges

  • Justice system is built around in-person hearings
  • During the COVID-19 shutdown, courts needed a way to safely hear cases, while keeping everyone distanced

Results

  • Nine Elkhart County courtrooms, with Webex running on a secure network
  • Cases stay on schedule, with participants able to see the courtroom, judge, and presentations
  • Facial expressions and body language can be observed
  • Court hearings went from 300 people in a room to three: the judge, bailiff, and court reporter
    • Reduces risk during pandemic
    • Simplifies security
    • Eliminates defendant transport, resulting in cost savings
    • No litigant travel; attorneys accomplish in 15 minutes what used to take a half day

What the customer is saying

I was the one who was really resistant to doing remote hearings. Then, I started realizing the benefits. We improved safety, reduced costs, and litigants take a 15-minute break from work for court. There is no downside.

Michael A. Christofeno, Judge, Elkhart County Circuit Court

Who is Elkhart County?

Industry: Government

Location: Elkhart County, Indiana

Size: More than 1,000 employees

Website: visitelkhartcounty.com

What the partner is saying

By putting a secure, forward-thinking infrastructure in place, when COVID happened we can [now] handle video arraignment. We’re well-aligned with Cisco for their collaboration.

Bob Tadevitch, President, Network Solutions