What does your county do and/or what do your Judges allow in regards to the following:

1) Video or audio redactions - do you make a new DVD/CD with the redactions (and admit that) or do you simply mute/fast forward thru the parts you can't show the jury? If you mute/fast forward, does that mean you bring the jury back to the courtroom if they want to watch the video during deliberations? If you make a new DVD/CD, what editing software are you using?

2) Video that only plays on a computer or data audio files - if you receive a disc that is only in data format (playable only on computer), how are your juries seeing it during deliberations? Do you send a computer back to the jury room with them? Or do you bring them back into the courtroom to hear/view? Or do you convert these files to video (playable on a TV)?

3) Does your county automatically send all evidence admitted back with the jury when they retire for deliberations or does your Judge wait until they ask for a specific item?

Technology is here and in many formats....let's hear how you guys are doing things!

In Collin County, we generally make a new redacted copy that is sent with the jury for deliberations. We also introduce a copy of the original for record purposes only, just in case there are any complaints on appeal. (Or at least we usually do this, which makes the appellate section happy. )

I've seen a few times where the defense attorney comes up with an objection at the last minute, too late to make a redacted copy, so they just play the tape and mute the relevant portions. If there's time, our investigator then goes back and makes a redacted copy that is then introduced in place of the original for the jury to use. If he can't do that, or if it's a video that can only be played on a laptop, we just bring the jury back in if they want to see the tape again.

Most of the judges around here send all the evidence back automatically, but not all of them. Sometimes it's just a matter of how much evidence there was!

Thanks Andrea!

What are the rest of you doing?

We send it all back. Some DVDs require a computer, and there is a laptop in the jury room, along with tv and DVD player. Redactions we do ahead of time, and last minute redactions are impossible so I think we'd have to have a continuance if the judge suppressed something not previously discussed.