Supreme Court Broadcasts Live Oral Arguments Over the Internet
Lawyers with cases before the Supreme Court of Appeals can now expect to reach a
larger audience. In June, West Virginia became one of a handful of state supreme courts
nationwide to broadcast live oral arguments to the public over the Internet.
For the past three years, our Supreme Court has been working steadily on Internet
streaming of oral arguments. We conducted test broadcasts to limited groups starting in
early 2001, and opened the arguments to the general public through our Web site at
www.state.wv.us/wvsca during the dockets on June 5, 6, 12 and 27.
Because access initially was limited, we purposefully didn't make a big splash. If you
were surfing the Web on those days, perhaps you caught our sneak preview. We will resume
the broadcasts, with capability for about 400 users at a time, with the opening of the
Supreme Court's Fall Term on September 5.
The Web has become an important vehicle for improving access to the courts. Even if you
disagree with the Florida Supreme Court's decision in the 2000 Presidential Election case,
you can't dispute how helpful it was to watch the arguments or read the pleadings and
orders over the Florida Supreme Court Web site. Increasingly, members of the press, bar
and public are not only relying on, but expecting, the courts to offer timely information
over the Web.
Our Supreme Court Web site made its debut in March 1997. Since that time, our site has
undergone numerous improvements. We have moved from employing a part-time Web author to
employing a full-time Web author. We have established an Internet Committee that meets
monthly to ensure that our site remains current and responsive to our ever-increasing
number of users. The most recent monthly report on Supreme Court Web site usage showed
that in April, our Web site averaged 1,257 users a day who spent an average of 15 minutes
on our site
I began my law practice in the age of the typewriter and came upon the age of the computer
well into my career. I am so proud that West Virginia has become a national leader in
court technology.
The West Virginia Supreme Court first achieved national recognition through our
cooperative use of asynchronous transfer mode, known as ATM, technology to link prisoners
in regional jails to magistrate courts for initial appearance hearings. The Court is
working on several new uses of ATM technology. We now join a select group of court leaders
through our Supreme Court Web site.
Through technology, the West Virginia Supreme Court is changing the way we practice law.
You don't have to leave your computer to read the latest opinions, learn the latest court
news, or watch and listen to live Supreme Court arguments. Stay tuned for more.