More video hearings could be in store for Westmoreland courts

Members of Westmoreland County’s Prison Board plan to explore an expanded program that allows for additional court hearings by video.

Common Pleas President Judge Rita Hathaway and court administrators lobbied the board to buy new equipment that will double the number of hearings conducted remotely to ensure safety of defendants and court personnel amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“We are doing our hardest to not transport defendants (from the jail) to keep everyone safe,” Hathaway said. “We are asking for more video equipment.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, the court system conducted a growing number of remote hearings, in Common Pleas Court and at the district judge level, using web-based equipment that allows participants to attend through conferencing software via the internet.

Warden John Walton said two video units are in use to allow inmates to participate in hearings from the Hempfield jail. About 22 video hearings a day are conducted for jail inmates. Those numbers need to be increased, court officials said.

Expanding the system would include buying additional equipment as well as physical changes at the jail to carve out additional space and soundproofing. Cost estimates have not been determined.

Prison board members — the three county commissioners along with District Attorney John Peck, Sheriff James Albert and Controller Jeffrey Balzer — indicated they would support dipping into a $10 million pool of federal money earmarked to repay local governments for costs associated with the pandemic to pay for the proposed expansion of remote court hearings.

“Let’s get moving on this so we can be ready to go,” Commissioner Gina Cerilli said.

Courts in June restarted in-person court appearances as coronavirus-related restrictions eased at the courthouse. Still, many guilty pleas, parole revocations, bench warrants and pretrial hearings involving incarcerated defendants are conducted remotely.

This summer, the county authorized using about $30,000 in federal grant funds to augment the courthouse’s video capabilities, according to Court Administrator Amy DeMatt.

Those funds were used to buy 15 new 55-inch high-definition televisions that have been installed in the county’s 11 courtrooms, along with 13 laptops and four evidence presenters to be used during court proceedings.

Commissioners also awarded a $180,000 contract to upgrade audio in each courtroom. That work is expected to begin this year.

Commissioner Sean Kertes on Monday proposed a more aggressive program that would enable the county’s 16 district judges to conduct remote hearings from home.

“I want magistrates to have the ability to be at home if they can’t be at the office. All they would have to do is put on a robe and conduct a hearing over the internet,” Kertes said.