NCJ Number
40866
Date Published
1976
Length
160 pages
Annotation
THE FIRST YEAR OF RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE FOCUSED ON EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF VIDEOTAPE ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ASSESSING ITS VALUE TO THE CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL COURTS.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE SECOND YEAR OF THIS PROJECT WERE TO DISSEMINATE CURRENT RESEARCH INFORMATION TO THE CALIFORNIA LEGAL COMMUNITY AND TO RECOMMEND SOLUTIONS TO THE BEHAVIORAL AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS WHICH MAY RESULT FROM LONG-TERM USE OF VIDEOTAPE IN THE CRIMINAL COURTS. THIS REPORT PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST AND SECOND YEARS OF RESEARCH AND THE METHODOLOGY ADOPTED TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SECOND YEAR OF RESEARCH. AN EXAMINATION OF THE PRACTICAL AND PROCEDURAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN USING VIDEOTAPE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS FOCUSES ON FIVE APPLICATION AREAS: INVESTIGATIVE, ARRAIGNMENT, PRELIMINARY HEARINGS, TRIALS, AND EDUCATION. A DISCUSSION OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS OF USING VIDEOTAPE CONSIDERS THE IMPACT OF VIDEOTAPE RECORDING ON WITNESS BEHAVIOR, THE IMPACT OF VIDEOTAPE PRESENTATION OF TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE ON JURORS, AND THE IMPACT OF VIDEOTAPE RECORDING ON LEGAL PARTICIPANT'S BEHAVIOR AND COURTROOM DECORUM. RECOMMENDATIONS ON VIDEOTAPE OPERATION AND PRODUCTION WITHIN THE CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL COURTS ARE PRESENTED IN THE FORM OF A SET OF MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EQUIPMENT, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, TAPE CERTIFICATION, PRODUCTION, LOGGING/INDEXING, AND OPERATOR TRAINING. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A SIX PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY, A DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODOLOGY USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS DURING THIS PROJECT, A TABULAR OVERVIEW OF VIDEOTAPE EQUIPMENT AND MANUFACTURERS, VIDEOTAPE RECORDING SYSTEM OPERATION CHECKS, A SIX PAGE GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS, AND TRAINING COURSE AND LECTURE OUTLINES....ELW