BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Circuit Judge Tom Smith plans to hold his drug court next week for 48 participants via video.
Smith and his drug court staff met Thursday and decided to have the proceedings using videoconferencing. He said he didn't want another month to pass without having some contact with the participants.
The state ordered all courts closed because of the covid-19 pandemic.
The session will be at 1 p.m. Thursday. Smith said the court will be for the 48 participants in Phase I of the program. He said they wanted to test it before expanding to the entire court. Participants in all phases total 273.
Smith and his court reporter will be in the courtroom while the counselors, probation officers and drug court participants will be on video. The participants will be at their homes or anywhere they can connect by video, he said.
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The counselors and probation officers have stayed in contact with the participants, Smith said. They are having meetings and therapy sessions through videoconferencing.
Michelle Barrett, the coordinator of Benton County Drug Court, feels videoconferencing is a way to make sure the participants know the team is still there for them and willing to help.
"We want to do all we can to continue to be a support," she said. "We have gotten positive feedback from participants about the process. Many have expressed being thankful for the connection."
Smith has been using videoconferencing to hear other cases. He rescheduled many of the cases on his docket, but, as the juvenile court judge, he must hear detention cases and others involving the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
He conducted a few detention hearings Wednesday. Smith and his court reporter were in the courtroom while the juveniles remained in the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center. Their parents remained outside the courtroom and used a laptop on a podium in the lobby area. The attorneys and juvenile probation officers also participated by video.
The parents remained in their cars until each case was called.
"It looks like the opening of The Brady Bunch," Smith said of the nine faces being displayed in his courtroom.
Smith said he used the technology earlier with 16 participants.
"It may be confusing in the beginning, but it's going to allow us to get cases going that need to be heard," he said.
Smith hopes to be able to conduct most of his docket by video by mid-April.
Benton County Circuit Judge Doug Schrantz said he also will begin hearing some cases by videoconferencing.
The county is planning to put video systems in Smith's and Judge Robin Green's courtrooms that will allow them on some cases to conduct hearings with inmates in the Benton County Jail.
Brenda Guenther, the county's comptroller, said the county is spending $64,605 for the video systems.
Schrantz and Circuit Judge Brad Karren already have video systems in their courtrooms. Karren has been using the technology for years to conduct hearings for inmates in the jail instead of having them taken to his courtroom.
Circuit Judge Cristi Beaumont, who presides over drug court in Washington County, is not using videoconferencing. She said participants are meeting by telephone and video with probation officers and counselors.
Beaumont said they are doing video court with individuals who get arrested.
Metro on 04/06/2020