NCJ Number
80126
Journal
Criminal Law Bulletin Volume: 17 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1981) Pages: 591-598
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses various uses of video equipment by the Kings County District Attorney's office in Brooklyn N.Y., including litigation training, substantive law lectures, and videotaped evidence.
Abstract
The Bureau of Training and Technical Services in Kings County was established by the District Attorney in 1978 as an educational tool, but the production of taped statements for prosecuting felons and sex offenders soon emerged as an equally important function. The training bureau's first major project was taping students while they performed litigation exercises as part of a course on advocacy skills. The bureau also tapes and edits programs on New York criminal law to help lawyers stay abreast of changes and provide experience for production crews. Concurrent with these activities, the bureau has pioneered in the use of video for prosecutorial purposes. Since 1979, the crew has provided 24-hour coverage for taping statements given by felony and sex offense suspects. Since taping may occur at crime scenes or emergency rooms, the teams and their equipment are mobile. Crew members carry a 75-pound camera pack to every investigation scene and are chosen for their emotional stability as well as technical expertise. The most frequently used criteria for equipment selection are portability, professional results, service, and reliability. Although the full potential of video technology will not be realized for several years, legislation and case law have substantially eradicated outdated prohibitions. The article contains 21 footnotes. For part 1 of this article, see NCJ 49283.