Remote Centralized Interpreting

1. Remote Centralized Interpreting Presented by Matt Benefiel, Trial Court AdministratorNinth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

2. Background

3. Orange County (Orlando) • Population 1.1 Million • 54 Judges • 6 Magistrates • 3 Hearing Officers • Osceola County (Kissimmee) • Population 267,000 • 11 Judges • 1 Magistrate • 1 Hearing Officer • Ninth Judicial Circuit • Population 1.37 million • 65 Judges • 7 Magistrate • 4 Hearing Officer

4. Osceola CountyCourthouse12 courtrooms Orange CountyCourthouse43 courtrooms Orange CountyJail3 courtrooms Juvenile Justice Center6 Courtrooms 3 BranchCourthouses3 courtrooms Ninth Judicial CircuitCoverage 7 Court Facilities 67 Courtrooms 2,229 Square Miles

5. Workload FY 2008-09 Hearings per day requiring a court interpreter = 103 Hearings per hour requiring a court interpreter = 15

6. Staff/Resources • One managing court interpreter • One administrative support staff • Seven Spanish court interpreters • Contractual budget

7. Challenge • Provide interpreter services for over 25,000 court hearings per year with eight staff interpreters, a hiring freeze, a declining contractual services budget, and an exploding demand for services. • Provide interpreter services each day for sixty-seven courtrooms located in seven court facilities spread out among two counties covering 2,229 square miles.

8. Solution

9. Centralized Interpreting Provide on-demand interpreter services to multiple court facilities located throughout the Ninth Judicial Circuit from a single workstation. Facts • Designed, installed, and maintained by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida • Went “live” in October of 2007 • Nine remote workstations • 7 in the Orange County Courthouse • 6 for staff interpreters • 1 for contractual interpreters • Two in the Osceola County Courthouse • 2 for staff interpreters

10. Centralized Interpreting Facts - continued • Current coverage includes: • Osceola County Courthouse - Arraignments • Juvenile Justice Center - Dependency and delinquency hearings • Orange County Jail Courtrooms – Initial appearances, arraignments, and VOPs • Future coverage (4th quarter of 2009) to include: • Orange County Courthouse - Domestic violence hearings • Three Branch Courthouses - Traffic and misdemeanor cases

11. Osceola CountyCourthouse12 courtrooms Orange CountyCourthouse43 courtrooms Orange CountyJail3 courtrooms Juvenile Justice Center6 Courtrooms 3 BranchCourthouses3 courtrooms Ninth Judicial CircuitCoverage 19 miles 20 miles 3 miles 38 miles 22 miles 6 miles 22 miles 16 miles

12. Technical Requirements Courtroom • Audio Mixer - Biamp Flex • 12 microphone inputs • Telephone interface card w/2 inputs • Interpreting • Video conferencing • Video Camera • Security camera on network • Headphones – Telex • 3 per courtroom • Podium/Witness stand (1) • Attorney tables – (2) • Bleach wipes

18. Technical Requirements Workstation • Pentium Dual Core computer • Network connectivity • Audio • DaVinci software • Control the mixer in the courtroom • Video • Enterprise Surveillance Manager software • Browser-based • View the courtroom(s) • Control the cameras • Dual 17”-19” monitors • Touch tone phone

21. Technical Requirements Remote Coverage • Audio • Cell phone • Video • Computer • Broadband Internet access • Web browser • VPN web access

23. Operation Key Components • The workstations of each of the 8 staff interpreters located in the Orange and Osceola County Courthouses are fully configured to provide remote interpreting services. • The interpreter can view any courtroom in the Circuit from his/her computer. • The interpreter can control the audio in any courtroom in the Circuit from his/her computer and/or touch tone telephone. • An extra workstation exists for contract interpreters to provideremote interpreting services. • 90% of the hearings requiring remote services are scheduledin advance. • An on-call staff interpreter covers weekend initial appearances from home through a touch tone phone.

25. Budget Courtroom Previously installed for centralized court reporting = $9,945 Net cost for centralized interpreting = $690

26. Budget Workstation Previously installed per standard workstation = $1,635 Net cost for centralized interpreting = $65

27. Benefits

28. Savings • Reduces the need for contract interpreters • Contract interpreters earn $45-55 per hour with a two hour guarantee • Reduces travel for staff interpreters • Travel to cover a five minute hearing routinely requires1-4 hours • Reduces travel costs – mileage reimbursement • More cost effective use of contract interpreters • A single contract interpreter can provide service to multiple locations. • Since January 1, 2008 - 16% reduction in contractual interpreter service expenditures • The reduction occurred while the Circuit wasunder a hiring freeze • Demand services rose during the same time period

29. Operational Efficiencies • Interpreters cover more hearings • Reduces courtroom wait times for interpreters • Quicker response to ad hoc requests • Improves courtroom flow - Judge gets interpreter when Judge needs interpreter Bottom Line Cover more, quicker, with less resources

30. What’s Next?

31. Future • Expand coverage to include: • Branch Courthouses (3) • Orange County Courthouse – DV Courtrooms • VPN web access to courtroom video monitoring • Security issues • Expand to include multiple Circuits • Compatible configurations • Operational issues

32. Recommendations • Use as much of the existing infrastructure as possible • Digital court reporting • Teleconferencing • Videoconferencing • Self-maintained • Staff must be able to support, maintain and operate the system • Do not rely upon third party support for daily maintenance and operation • Find an enthusiastic Judicial sponsor / promoter / salesperson

33. Resources • Ninth Judicial Circuit website • www.ninthcircuit.org • Dedicated Centralized Interpreting web page • Video demonstration • PowerPoint Presentation • Tours and “Live” demonstrations • Staff conference calls

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