NCJ Number
38282
Date Published
1976
Length
84 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF AND THE AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THE D.C. MODEL COURTROOM, A RECTANGULAR ROOM WHOSE MAJOR FUNCTIONS EVOLVE AROUND A FOURTEEN-FOOT DIAMETER OPEN WELL.
Abstract
THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT OF THE COURTROOM AND ITS AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT ARE EVALUATED FROM THE STANDPOINTS OF THE LOCATION OF COURTROOM PARTICIPANTS, INTERNAL MOVEMENT/ CIRCULATION, SPACE ALLOCATION/UTILIZATION, VISUAL AND ACOUSTICAL QUALITY OF SPACE, FLEXIBILITY, FURNISHINGS AND EQUIPMENT ACCOMODATIONS, SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS, AND TERMPERATURE/HUMIDITY CONTROL. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO JUDGES, ATTORNEYS, CLERKS, BAILIFFS, COURT REPORTERS, WITNESSES, AND JURORS ON THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE EVALUATION WHICH THEY WERE MOST QUALIFIED TO DISCUSS. AN ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE DATA, OBSERVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOW THE SUMMARY OF DATA FOR ALL QUESTIONS UNDER EACH CRITERIA TOPIC. DIAGRAMS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE ANALYSIS TO ILLUSTRATE PROBLEM AREAS AND RECOMMENDED CHANGES. THE USE AND PLACEMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL EVIDENCE PRESENTATION EQUIPMENT, CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION, AND VIDEOTAPE EQUIPMENT WERE ANALYZED BY A SPECIALIST CONSULTANT. THE QUESTIONNAIRE DATA REVEALED THAT THE COURTROOM PARTICIPANTS CONSIDERED THE COURTROOM AN APPROPRIATE FORUM FOR JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS, AND A MAJORITY OF THEM PREFERRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TYPE OF COURTROOM RATHER THAN THE TRADITIONAL TYPE. SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DEVELOPED, HOWEVER, TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE UTILITY OF THE DESIGN. MAJOR REVISIONS IN THE AUDIOVISUAL SYSTEM WERE MANDATED BY THE COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT. THE REVISED COURTROOM DESIGN WILL SERVE AS A MODEL FOR A NEW 45 COURTROOM COURTHOUSE. (SNI ABSTRACT)...PO