Bartholomew County’s courtrooms will have a much different look in 2021.
Last week, the Bartholomew County Commissioners accepted a $158,420 bid from local business CIM Technology Solutions to supply and install state-of-the-art audio/visual systems with enhanced teleconferencing capabilities for the county’s major courtrooms.
The new equipment will be paid through the $2.7 million that the county received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund.
Additionally, CARES money will be used towards replacing computers, air quality improvements, courthouse scanning, contact tracing and acquiring more personal protection equipment in the courtrooms.
This bid excludes Judge Kelly Benjamin’s Circuit Court, which has already started an extensive renovation. On top of adding new visual and audio equipment, Benjamin’s courtroom will also be expanding in size and will have a new bench and holding cell, among other changes.
Officials estimate the Circuit courtroom project will finish at the end of January. There is not a timetable yet for the changes coming to Superior Court 1 and Superior Court 2, as those details are still being hashed out.
Due to a backlog of cases, the courts anticipate a very busy year.
On Dec. 14, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered that all jury trials be suspended until March 1 of 2021. At the time, Benjamin said she had 40 cases that could potentially go to trial and that the courts were still trying to catch up on the trials delayed in the spring.
Bartholomew County has some of the busiest courts in the state, so it makes sense to upgrade the facilities. It also makes sense to do the renovations now while courtrooms are empty.
It’s exciting that the courtrooms will have a greater range of capabilities moving forward. Some of the technology in the courtrooms was purchased in 2003, so the upgrades were past due.
In 2021, having the ability to conduct hearings virtually is a huge asset. COVID-19 is still creating issues for many courtrooms, but up-to-date technology should help alleviate some of the public health concerns locally.
Hopefully, the renovations will allow for more speedy, efficient trials in the future.
