Beginning today, the Quincy District Court's First Criminal Session's proceedings will be streamed live over the Internet. The Open Court project is an experiment in improving access to court proceedings. "At the outset, a video camera has been set up to stream the court’s First Session courtroom. Anyone on the internet may view these live proceedings, alongside daily archives. A Wi-Fi network has also been set up for journalists and bloggers who wish to transmit stories, post reports, and otherwise go about their online business directly from the courtroom."
The project is beginning with First Session proceedings, which include "arraignments, new summons arrests and default removals." According to the Boston Globe, "John Davidow, executive editor in charge of new media at WBUR, who developed the idea for the project.... said that during the next year, the goal is to move the experiment outside the first session courtroom. He said the hope is to stream criminal and civil trials and small claims cases as well."
More information on how the project will function within the courtroom is available at the Boston Globe and the Open Court site. Twitter hashtag: #opencourtus.
