TALLAHASSEE – The use of virtual arguments by attorneys in court cases have been so successful that it might continue even after the pandemic is over, a spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court said.
"The Court thought the May 6 remote oral arguments went better than expected,” public information officer Craig Waters told the Florida Record. "We still are working on details, of course, like making sure everyone unmutes their microphones at the proper time. Everyone thought the attorneys were very professional and maintained proper decorum during the arguments.”
The state’s high court held its first-ever “virtual” arguments on May 6.
According to a news release supplied by Waters, the Florida Supreme Court will hold three more days of oral arguments using remote video teleconferencing when it hears cases in June.
“The next round of cases will be argued on June 2, 3, and 4 starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time each day," the release said. "Fourteen cases currently are scheduled over the three days. The historic May 6 arguments were widely viewed as a success.”
Using the new remote system, Supreme Court justices and attorneys can communicate and interact with each other using Zoom teleconferencing computer software. The arguments in court resulting in video and audio clips are then provided by staffers to the media and the public on the Court’s existing livestream feeds, which include a Facebook live channel.
“This system allows broad worldwide public access while minimizing security problems associated with public teleconferencing,” the report noted.
The successful use of teleconferencing to broadcast court oral arguments is yet another uptick in use of technology in the state’s court system.
The Florida Supreme Court began live-streaming oral arguments on the web in 1997 and became the first appellate court in the U.S. to regularly broadcast its arguments on Facebook live, beginning in January of 2018.
The news release called the switch to remote technology a major change for the Court.
“For 175 years since statehood, the Court always heard arguments with attorneys and judges together in the same room,” the release stated. “It is a tradition that dates to early English law, which Florida adopted as the basis for its own legal system when it became a state in 1845.”
Waters said the experience of remote arguments has been a positive one for attorneys.
“The attorneys spoke favorably of their experience,” he said. "Right now, a Court Continuity Workgroup appointed by the Chief Justice is looking at changes that are occurring during the pandemic and will recommend those that warrant further study for continuing implementation even after the pandemic ends. But that discussion still is ongoing.”