Videoconferencing and electronic filings save money and time. In Courtroom 318 at the old federal courthouse, jurors study evidence flashed across sleek monitors in the jury box.
Defendants listen to interpreters through tiny earpieces.
The lawyers tap at laptops, and the judge uses his computer to keep track of the hundreds of documents. Just a few years ago, courtroom life was not nearly so high-tech. Evidence was passed from juror to juror. Interpreters sat next to defendants and whispered. And laptops or monitors were a rarity, as courts generally were slow to jump on the technological bandwagon.