Zooming In On The Flaws Of Virtual Court
September 15, 2020 | The Insider: White Collar Defense and Securities Enforcement
During the Covid-19 pandemic, with some notable exceptions, the bar has generally applauded the efforts of courts around the country to suspend in-person appearances and make court “virtual” to the extent possible. In video-courtrooms throughout the United States, courts now conduct status conferences, oral arguments, and even trials on video-conferencing platforms like Zoom. Some commentators have even called for court appearances to remain virtual post-pandemic. Although this new adjudicative medium may provide a certain ease of access for attorneys and litigants in many areas of the law, not to mention some cost savings, criminal defendants should remain wary. Previous studies in the bail and immigration contexts in particular suggest that virtual court can prejudice defendants the most. [...]
