april/may courts today

April/May 2015 Vol. 13 No. 2C

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Drug Testing: Probation & Parole

Ignition Interlock Issues

ACCOMMODATINGDISABILITIES

Case Management

Systems: What To Consider

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V O L U M E 1 3 N U M B E R 2

A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 5

F E A T U R E S

6 Case Management Systems: Features To Consider

14 Accommodating DisabilitiesIn the Courthouse

20 Dynamic Judicial Signage

24 Ignition Interlock IssuesTechnology on Display at AIIPA

28 Drug Testing: Probation & ParoleProtocol + Products

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4 Courts in the Media

34 Ad Index

D E P A R T M E N T S

Publisher & Executive EditorThomas S. Kapinos

Assistant PublisherJennifer Kapinos

EditorDonna Rogers

Contributing EditorsMichael Grohs, Bill Schiffner

G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason

Art DirectorJamie Stroud

Marketing RepresentativesBonnie Dodson(828) 479-7472

Art Sylvie(480) 816-3448

Peggy Virgadamo(718) 456-7329

is published bi-monthly by:Criminal Justice Media, Inc

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COU RTS I N TH E M E DIA

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April/May 2015

With a crucial judiciary coffer running at a deficit,California's Judicial Council met in mid-April to deliver apainful blow of funding cuts to trial court security, tech-nology, court-appointed counsel for juveniles and complexcivil litigation, Courthouse News Service reported.

The Improvement and Modernization Fund (IMF), foryears a source of funding for court technology projects,interpreters, court security, judicial education, subscrip-tions to publications, jury management, self-help centersand a host of other projects and programs, is $11 millionin the hole, it stated.

"There is no money in the IMF," Judge Laurie Earl ofSacramento gravely told the council. "Any action you dotoday needs to be based on there's no money in the IMF.This fund runs at a deficit. It has a structural imbalanceand we need to act now or we'll be forced off the cliff thatis looming. The cliff is here and we are standing at theedge of it." (Earl chairs the council's trial court budgetadvisory committee, and is co-chair of its revenue andexpenditure subcommittee.)

On April 17, Earl's committee recommended that thecouncil approve about $10.8 million in cuts, which will

eliminate funding for nine programs, including publicationsubscriptions, trial court security grants, alternative disputeresolution centers and the complex civil litigation program,which funds complex civil litigation staff in the superiorcourts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange,San Francisco, and Santa Clara County.

The recommendations were a last-ditch effort to savethe fund from insolvency, but the notion of de-fundingprograms like trial court security and complex civil litiga-tion did not sit well with many council members.

A deluge of phone calls and emails from complex civillitigation attorneys who asked that the issue be tabled forfurther study signaled the strong opposition to the action.Judge Brian McCabe of Merced said he wasn't pleasedwith slashing of $1.2 million from security. He said extrasecurity funding was crucial, since he and 150 othersrecently witnessed the fatal shooting in his courtroom of aman who "assaulted the court with two 10-inch blades."

"In essence, we are choosing between whether we cutoff our left hand or right hand, but either choice is notgoing to be pleasant and it is going to hurt," McCabe said.He added: "Notwithstanding, taking that local hat off andputting the statewide one on, I get it. I get that we have adeficit and we have to address it. I get that there is goingto be some painful decisions here and that this is meant asa temporary stop-gap until we can figure out some eitherfunding solutions or better mechanisms."

The council also voted to cut five courts loose from IMFsupport to maintain remnants of the now-defunct soft-ware project called the Court Case Management System,at about $7 million a year. San Diego, Orange County,Ventura County and Sacramento signed on early to theproject, which was intended to unite the state's 58 trialcourts under one case-tracking software system.

The project was terminated in 2012 amidst damningcriticism from legislators, trial judges, court employees andunion leaders as a costly and technologically unwieldyboondoggle. The courts that are currently using V3, thelatest version of the system that the Legislature allowedthe Judicial Council to support with the IMF, are all look-ing to replace their systems with software from vendorslike Tyler Technologies and Thomson Reuters.

The plan is to incrementally wean the courts off thefunding over four years, but the question remains as tohow these courts will pay for their new systems.

Ventura County is particularly concerned, SecondAppellate District Court Judge Judith Ashmann-Gerst toldthe council. Ashmann-Gerst, the council's liaison to theVentura court, said the court is interested in a deal withTyler, but has no way to pay for it.

Meanwhile, the council unanimously voted to with-draw funding for V3 in 2016 and its tech committee willbegin looking for alternate funding sources.

COURTS' IMPROVEMENT FUND BROKE; CUTS COMING, JUDICIAL COUNCIL SAYS

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR

Leroy JethroGibbs on theTV seriesNCIS por-trays a char-

acter who, while he may be coura-geous and a fatherly boss, is a tech-no-phobe who doesn’t even seem tobe able to use his own computer.

He recently got a smartphone butwas teased whether he knew how tosend a text. Yet, despite being decid-edly low-tech, he depends heavilyon his tech-savvy staff to ping crimi-nals’ cell phones in seconds and topiece together forensic matches tothe most minuscule evidence left at

a crime scene and round up themost egregious terrorists.

Most courts today see the valuein a case management system,though paying for it may be thebiggest hurdle to implementation.Those in the field tell us other sig-nificant issues that may preclude thecourt from getting their CMS set upefficiently are lack scaleability andconfigurability and a system that isnot comprehensive enough toaccount for the court’s workflow inits entirety. We spoke with some ofthe major software providers in thefield who discussed how they over-come some of the predominant pit-

falls in implementing a smooth-run-ning system.

“Currently, the primary obstacleto courts implementing a case man-agement system are the financialchallenges faced by many cities andcounties,” says Robert Wilson, pres-ident of Syscon, Inc. “Although thesituation is gradually improving,budgeting for a case managementsystem can be a difficult sell.” Hegoes on to say that if one considersthe staff time saved by a system, theimprovement in collections of finesand fees due to automation, andbetter (and fairer) decisions by thecourt due to more accurate and

CASEManagement Systems

What to lookfor when considering a system for your Court.Courtview’s CMS can be accessedon any internet-capable device—desktop, portable, tablet, orsmartphone.

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timely information, “oftentimes asystem can be justified in spite ofbudget constraints.”

With careful study, a way may befound to fund a system throughbonds, public-private partnerships,financing, etc. And the quick ROIcan in many instances justify thecost.

Another issue courts face is thegrowing concern over security andaccess to the courthouse. Theyshould consider ways that allowtheir constituents to interact withthem without ever having to physi-cally go to the courthouse, suggestsPhil Hatton, VP, Justice SolutionsManager. Self-service options are agrowing trend as the workforce notonly finds it difficult to leave work,but expects access to the court ontheir terms much like the servicethey get from banking and enter-tainment, he says.

To meet this challenge, Xeroxcase management solutions providea suite of online options that allowconstituents to interact with courtswhen it is most convenient for them.Constituents can search for caseinformation, manage traffic tickets,make payments, and even completefilings for certain case types—pro-viding convenient, secure access tothe court any time of the day, notesHatton.

Comprehensivesystem

A comprehensive system and acapable partner are two of the mostimportant things to consider whenlooking at case management systemsfor a court, according to MichaelKleiman, director of Marketing, TylerTechnology’s Courts & JusticeDivision. Because integrating withother systems is one of the mostcomplicated, time consuming andexpensive parts of creating a solu-tion, having a single comprehensivesystem in place saves headaches.

Implementing a comprehensive sys-tem creates end-to-end processes forthe court that make using it efficient,easy to manage and cost effective, hepoints out. “The more that a singlesystem can do, the more likely it isthat modules will work together andbe on a similar enhancement path.”

In addition, implementing a newcase management system is a hugeinvestment of time, money andpolitical capital. This is the reason asolid partner is important. Without apartner that has a track record ofsuccess with the product they areinstalling, Kleinman points out,“courts can’t have confidence thattheir investment is a good one, andwill remain good five years downthe line.”

He furthers that Odyssey is anintegrated case management sys-tem—it not only includes case man-agement, but also document man-agement, e-filing, a public accessWeb portal, workflow, touchscreensfor the bench, and modules for jailmanagement, supervision and forthe Prosecutors’ office so that every-thing works together seamlessly.Odyssey is so successful, he says,because Tyler has “the expertise,resources and commitment to makeevery one of our implementations asuccess.” He reports Tyler has clientsin more than 600 counties across 21states, and 10 complete states usingOdyssey successfully. New clientsbenefit from the expertise of theCourts & Justice Division’s morethan 500 staff, including more than100 developers who work full time toimprove the product.

The ability to be able to cus-tomize a CMS is also an essentialfeature to seek out. Many “off-the-shelf” systems are rigid and aresimple out-of-the-box systems thatare not always the best solution for acourt with specific needs or work-flow, says Jeff Nadler, vice presidentof sales with McGirr Technologies.

McGirr’s CMS includes “a built-

in suite of automation engines thatcan be managed by departmentalstaff, without the need for vendorsupport. These include a flexible andcomprehensive workflow platform,an automated resource schedulingengine and a correspondence mod-ule, as well as automated case man-agement steps, events, notificationsetc.,” he states, adding, “The frame-work and processes can be easilyconfigured as required by court staffto adapt smoothly and rapidly tochanging business requirements.”

The ability to be easily configuredis important not only to be tailoredto the individual court initially butso that it can be altered as courtprocesses change. “Courts updatingor replacing their current case man-agement solution should considerhow a solution will meet their cur-rent needs and adapt to futurerequirements for years to come,”stresses Mandy E. Peterson,Communications, JournalTechnologies. She says that becausetheir eCourt system is “highly con-figurable, it will evolve with process-es within a court as they changeover time. Our configuration spe-cialists teach our customers to modi-fy and update processes duringimplementation, through ongoingtraining, and technical support via ateam of highly-trained customersupport specialists.”

“Configurability is unquestion-ably the most important feature toconsider in a CMS,” concurs AdamWatson, account manager, SynergyInternational Systems, Inc. “A sys-tem that cannot dynamically adaptto changes in business processeswill not survive.

He says that Synergy’s systemsare built on a configurable platformthat enables them to customize theCMS for each client, “enabling us todynamically adapt to the uncertainand often changing requirementsthat we encounter with clients whomay be transitioning from paper


April/May 2015


based to electronic systems for thefirst time.”

Pamela Dancil, product marketingmanager with AutoMon, LLC, agreesthat one of the most important fea-tures that courts, as well as proba-tion, parole and pretrial agencies,should consider is flexibility and con-figurability, along with cost-effective-ness for both softwareimplementation andfor the long-term.

Dancil reports thatover the years,AutoMon has workedwith communitysupervision and cor-rections agenciesacross the country andobserved dramaticchanges in supervisionpractices. Regulatoryand legislativechanges have had asignificant impact onagency responsibili-ties, and the steadyand sometimes rapidgrowth in the popula-tion of supervisedindividuals furtherimpacts resources andfunding. The supervi-sion landscape has ledorganizations tosearch for a more flex-ible case managementsystem that canaccommodate newlaws and regulationswith minimal costsincurred to the agen-cies. She says this realization hasinformed AutoMon on how todesign, develop and deploy its soft-ware solutions to be highly config-urable and flexible.

“One of our core philosophies isthat the costs of industry changeshould be borne by the communityof users together so that develop-ment costs are shared. This meansfunctionality developed for oneagency is delivered to other agencies

for only the cost of localizing thesolution,” she comments. Thisapproach has resulted in a signifi-cant financial competitive advantagein this market, she furthers. Thuseven by selecting an off-the-shelfCMS, the agency can minimize costsand mitigate risks associated withextensive development efforts and a

long software implementation. In drilling down to her specific

solution, she says that by leveragingits domain expertise, AutoMon hasinvested heavily in the developmentof SaaS products to complement thecore Caseload Explorer’s breadth. ItsSaaS product suite, called CeConnect, includes solutions forassessments, drug testing, check-in(web and kiosk), analytics, and amobile solution. These products are

specialized applications that providedeep functionality in areas of super-vision and focus on eliminatingmanual, redundant tasks and pro-vide industry-leading analyticaltools. These SaaS solutions aretightly integrated with CaseloadExplorer, allowing for a seamlessuser experience across all products,

Dancil says.

‘Workflow,workflow,workflow’

When asked what ismost important inchoosing a CMS, SueHumphreys, director,Industry Solutions withCourtView JusticeSolutions, responds:“Foremost, the courtshould be looking for acompany they can trustand with whom they canfreely collaborate on thebest possible system fortheir needs. After that,it’s workflow, workflow,and workflow. Giventhe ever-changing andfast-paced nature ofcourt business, it’s justsuper important that theCMS is insanely flexibleand can serve up theright information to theright people at the righttime.

“Along that samevein,” she furthers,” per-

sonalization is at the top of the listtoo—because it’s just as critical thatyour CMS understands the differ-ences between user needs. What Ineed to see and do as an intakeclerk is completely different than ifI’m the finance manager or the courtadministrator. In any of these roles Imay be looking at the exact samecases, people, or activities, but whatI need to know and how I interactwith the information should be very


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specific to [each role].CourtView has built its CMS on

top of business rule engines that letthe court decide how their casesflow from beginning to end, shepoints out. “Starting with our case-and workflow templates, the courtcan set their own guidelines andprocess rules as needed, and easilykeep them updated as new laws,policies, and practices come intoplay. We’ve even extended thisright on out to how information is

presented to different roles.” Therefore, not only is the flow

itself configurable (what must hap-pen when) but what I see (how,when, where) is specific to who I amand the work I need to accomplish,she details. “The biggest value ofthis approach is that it eliminatesunwanted ‘data smog’ and lets eachperson focus on what’s most criticalto them.” An added bonus is thatthe CMS can be accessed on anyinternet-capable device, concludes

Humphreys.In the end, a CMS solution that is

built on an open/flexible platformand is easier to integrate with inter-nal and external systems is the toppriority, says Manoj Jain, vice presi-dent, Thomson Reuters CourtManagement Solutions. “Today’sCMS must adapt to the ever chang-ing technology landscape, and not beoverly reliant on a specific platformor web browser (platform-indepen-dent and browser-agnostic). The

What would it take to make an extremelyuseable and eff ic ient automated JuryManagement System?To enhance the jury process for constituents

and stay ahead of the jury technology curve,that might incorporate the fastest growing formof communication—texting. Texting allows aperson to communicate withoutstopping what they are doing,to have a verbal conversation,while still conveying importantinformation. Implementing thistechnology into the juryprocess, allows citizens to con-tinue their normal tasks whileobtaining important informationvia text. Potential jurors cantruly access their juror informa-tion on the go, 24/7. Since mid-2012, one compa-

ny, Judicial Systems, Inc., whichhas been serving courts since1982, has provided courts theconvenience and efficiency oftexting and emailing. Using itsmJuror, the integrated texting and emailingsolution provided with Jury2015Plus JuryAdministration System, the NLP intelligent textinterpretation engine allows communication incommon non-formatted text and even textingslang. Jurors can communicate with mJuror bytexting/emailing inquires, in common non for-matted syntax, such as…”where do I park?”,

“when do I need to report?”, “How do I getthere?”, etc. Jurors are also able to receive lastminute changes or reminders of reportinginstructions, allowing them to always knowwhether they are needed to serve or not. Now mJuror can not only communicate perti-

nent information to jurors by means of textingand email, but it also providesauthorized court personnel theability to communicate withand manage the jury adminis-tration system itself. Courtadmin can adjust, cancel orreschedule the reportinginstructions for jurors fromtheir smart phones by meansof texting and email. Alongwith the ability to immediatelymanage juror reportinginstructions, mJuror allowsdesignated court staff such asjudges, bailiffs, etc., to be noti-fied instantly of such changes.In addition to text and emailannouncements, court per-

sonnel now have the ability to record announce-ments to be broadcast to jurors as audio mes-sages in the form of MMS text and email. Every court should have the latest, most effi-

cient and user-friendly JMS technology avail-able. If your jurisdiction is interested see thebrief video demonstrations at www.mjurorde-mo.com or call 1.800.205.4068.

THE FUTURE OF JURY SERVICE: Text and ServeBY GARY DOWER, JUDICIAL SYSTEMS INC.

Jurors can communicate with mJuror JuryManagement System by texting or emailing inquires.


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system should have built-in flexibilitythat allows for court specific rulesand workflows to be configured andthe system must be able to meet thecourt’s existing, and future, integra-tion needs.”

Thomson Reuters’ solution, C-Track, is built on open technologiesand is platform independent (soft-ware that can run on any hardwareplatform, e.g., PC, Mac, SunSparc,etc., or software platform, e.g.,Windows, Linux, MacOS, UNIX,etc.) and browser agnostic (accessi-ble from any modern web browser),Jain explains. It has built-in integra-tion services that allow IT teams tocompress implementation time andsupports integration with legacy andnew third-party justice partner sys-tems without relying on the vendor.In addition, C-Track ConfigurationManager gives clients the ability tomanage the configuration of theirsystem on their own.

TECHNOLOGYOVERVIEW

AUTOMON CASELOADEXPLORER

Caseload Explorer is a unifiedadult and juvenile case managementsystem for probation, parole andpretrial agencies designed to simpli-fy and automate all areas of supervi-sion. In a single solution, CaseloadExplorer provides a web-based casemanagement system in a secureenvironment to organize, manageand share client information.Pamela DancilProduct Marketing ManagerAutoMon, [email protected]/

COURTVIEW JWORKSWith its dynamic caseflow man-

agement (DCM) engine, flexiblescreen builder, and role-driven

dashboards and navigation, JWorksis a highly configurable COTS casemanagement system. What yousee—and how you interact withinformation—can be easily tailored

to roles, teams, and individuals.Built-in workflow automaticallyassigns and routes outstanding to-dos and deadlines and lets younotify, escalate, re-route, and re-assign work as needed. This uniquecapability goes beyond caseflow toinclude the flow of person informa-tion and specific activities like cal-endaring, warrants, investigation,financials, docketing, motion track-ing, and documents to name a [email protected]/ct

JOURNAL TECHNOLOGIES’ ECOURT

ECourt, web-based case man-agement, accommodates all casetypes for courts of all jurisdictions.ECourt is database agnostic, auto-mates repetitive tasks, brings

judges tools to the bench, and fullysupports real-time in-court pro-cessing. Court professionals needonly a web browser to access fulleCourt functionality—meaning,eCourt is available to judges andclerks via smartphone or mobiledevice. No apps are necessary.Journal Technologies, Inc.435.713.2100jacoba@journaltechnologies.comwww.journaltechnologies.com

MCGIRR MCMSMcGirr offers an advanced solu-

tion for modern, citizen-centriccourts. MCMS (McGirr CourtManagement System) includes:streamlined, configurable case man-

agement, auto-mated courtadministrat ion,

calendaring, payments etc., inCourtjudicial staff module, eFiling andjudicial portals. The platform is fullyconfigurable by court administratorsto support constantly changing leg-islative and business needs.Jeff NadlerVice President of [email protected]/us/

SYNERGY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS INC.’S CMS

Synergy's Case ManagementSystem (CMS) is uniquely designedto meet justice sector needs indeveloping countries, enabling gov-ernments to automate courtprocesses, monitoring case activities,and support decision-making

through the use of real-time dataand analytics. Synergy's CMSincludes online data entry, analytics,reporting, workflow management,and system administration.Adam WatsonSynergy International Systems, Inc.703.883.1119 x 1001Skype: [email protected]>www.synisys.com

SYSCON’S ENTERPRISECOURT CLERK AND COURTLITE SOLUTIONS

Syscon offers two case manage-ment options for courts. The first isthe Enterprise version of Court


Clerk, which provides numerouscase management features tostreamline court operations. Theseinclude onscreen display of forms,flexible interfaces to law enforce-ment [including NCIC] and financialsystems, biometric fingerprintrecognition for user authenticationand signing of court documents,

paperless court operation, automat-ed reminder phone calls to defen-dants regarding scheduled courtappearances, integrated online pay-ments, and customized FTA pro-cessing. The second option is itshosted solution called Court ClerkLite. The Lite version providesmany features of the flagship prod-uct at an entry level price. It alsooffers a very simple upgrade path tothe Enterprise version.Syscon, Inc. [email protected]

THOMSON REUTERS’ C-TRACK

C-Track, the innovative casemanagement system developed byThomson Reuters Court

Management Solutions (TR CMS),keeps cases moving efficientlythrough your court. C-Track pro-vides a total court solution by inte-grating our e-filing, case manage-ment, and public access solutionswith other court applications.Thomson Reuters Court ManagementSolutions

[email protected]

www.thomsonreuters.com

TYLER TECHNOLOGIES’ODYSSEY

Odyssey simplifies the path to apaper free court by providing anend-to-end solution and is used bycourts in more than 600 countiesacross 21 states. E-Filing is includedin the solution suite and worksseamlessly so that electronic docu-ments are automatically incorporat-ed into case files. Odyssey alsoincludes sophisticated documentmanagement, so efficiency isimproved as electronic workflowsautomatically deliver documents tothe correct queues. In addition, time

is saved and errors reduced becausejustice partners easily share datawith Odyssey jail, attorney andsupervision modules. Access to jus-tice is enhanced with a new Webportal that guides self-represented

litigants through court forms.Tyler [email protected]

XEROX COURT CASEMANAGEMENT

Xerox case management solutionand ancillary offerings combinestreamlined case filing, intuitive cal-endar interface, powerful document

processing, flexible and efficientadjudication processing, speciallydesigned user interfaces for courtroom processing, and robustaccounting module with flexiblepayment options to make your courtrun more efficiently and effectively.Xerox Justice SolutionsMichael [email protected] www.xerox.com/justice

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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

According to the CensusBureau, nearly one in five—almost 58 million—

Americans has a disability. The defi-nition of disability is fairly broad,and under the ADA described as “aphysical or mental impairment thatsubstantially limits one or moremajor life activities.” More than halfof respondents to the CensusBureau reported that their disabilitywas “severe.” More than 8 millionreported having difficulty seeing. Of

those, 2 million were blind. About7.5 million reported having difficultyhearing. Of those, 1.1 millionreported the disability as being“severe.” Over 30 million Americanssuffer from mobility issues. Thenumbers are startling. The probabil-ity of having a severe disability isone in four for those aged 65 to 69,the population is aging, and courtsare not completely prepared.

Some disabilities are easier toaddress than others. Fredric Lederer,

director of the Center for Legal andCourt Technology (CLCT), notesthat courts tend to lean towardmobility issues, but there are myriadother areas to consider, and whilecompliance to the Americans withDisabilities Act (ADA) is clearly animportant issue to address, there arealso other concerns about inclusionand access. A 2006 report forWashington State Courts titledEnsuring Equal Access for People withDisabilities: A Guide for Washington

AccommodatingDisabilities in Courts

BLIND JUDGES,JURORS WITHHEARING LOSS,PATRONS WITHLIMITED MOBILI-TY.... HOW ARECOURTS ADDRESS-ING THESE ISSUES?

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Courts noted that there were 940,000people in Washington who had adisability, which is a significantnumber for a state with a then pop-ulation of 6 million. The report fur-thered that The Civil Needs Study,which was conducted by a task forcein 2003 to study the needs forWashington’s low-income and vul-nerable populations, also foundthose with disabilities experiencedlegal discrimination at a much high-er rate than many other low incomegroups, and low income people withdisabilities are the least likely groupto secure legal assistance from anattorney.

There is, says Lederer, a generalframework to consider. The first isfor access to justice during trials andhearings, where people are actuallyin attendance. The second is inregards to court staff who may havedisabilities and may do, for example,tasks such as data entry/processing.The third is the general public whowants to access information remote-ly but may have hearing or sight dif-ficulties and encounter a situationsuch as at one time having beenable to have text read to them butfinding out that someone lateradded graphics. The fourth are thosewho come to the courthouse.

Federal courts generally, saysLederer, are mostly for the resolutionof disputes. State courts are moreinvolved in probate, marriagerecords, etc. According to theNational Association for the Deaf,the ADA requires state and localcourts to provide interpreters, realtime captioning, assistant listeningdevices and other aids to ensurecommunication. The ADA, though,does not apply to federal courts, andstate and local courts are not requiredto provide accommodations if doingso would “fundamentally alter thecourt’s services or that would resultin an undue financial and adminis-trative burden.” The question thatarises is what is reasonable?

Lederer points out that one courtthat discussed the matter of accesswith CLCT responded that once ayear or so the issue arises thatsomeone who might need assistancehas to wait for a clerk to help them.They may feel that, while they are inthis situation, their time is valuabletoo, and perhaps they should simplybe able to assess the material ontheir own. Other courts mayencounter such concerns daily.Numerous courts offer training. TheWashington Court Guide is a trove ofinformation. The TennesseeSupreme Court’s Access to JusticeCommission recently developed atraining video that it states will helpattorneys and legal agencies thatwork with persons with disabilities.Nearly 400 people attended JusticeR. Fred Lewis’s training sessionsthat were designed to prepare par-ticipants to survey the accessibilityof court facilities across Florida.

There was a time, Lederer notes,

that if someone was blind or deaf, heor she would not be a juror. Nowthere are blind judges. RichardBernstein, who has been blind sincebirth, was appointed to the MichiganSupreme Court in 2014. He preparedfor 10 cases by memorizing keypoints in every case read to him byan aide. (On a personal note, he hasalso run more than 15 marathonsand completed a triathlon, whichinvolved running a 26.2 milemarathon, completing a 112 milebike ride, and swimming 2.4 miles.)Justice Richard Teitelman of Missourihas been legally blind since age 13.Judge David Tatel, who sits on a fed-eral appeals court in Washington,D.C., is also blind. And there are nowhearing-impaired jurors. That meanswhen the jury retires to the delibera-tion room, there would need to be aninterpreter, which is not illegal, but itis unusual, Lederer points out.

Hearing difficulties vary greatly.Someone with a moderate hearing


April/May 2015


loss might not be affected. As theWashington Courts Report points out,though, once that loss becomesmoderate, a person will likely startmisunderstanding speech andrequire a hearing assistance device.When the loss is profound, theymay require an interpreter. TheReport offers solutions to providingservice. The first is to have patienceand flexibility. People with hearingloss (the document also admonishesthat many deaf people consider theterm impairment to be offensive)might feel intimidated by court pro-ceedings and be “distrustful andreluctant to acknowledge confusionor uncertainty.” The key is to neverassume one solution will work foreveryone. When choosing, courtsmust abide by the preference of theperson in need of accommodation.Most people with such a disability

use some form of technology or signlanguage interpreter.

The technology must also meetADA requirements. Enersound, aWest Park, Fla.-based manufacturerof language interpreting, assistive lis-tening, and conferencing products,offers systems such as the ALS-4TPAssistive Listening System that canimprove comprehension for peoplewho have difficulty hearing. The 4-Person Assistive Listening Systemwith Neckloops and ADA Plaque is amultichannel solution (in the 72-76MHz band) to meet the needs of theAmericans with Disabilities Act stan-dards for accessible design, useful forvenues up to 100 seats.

Mobility is a primary concernwhen it comes to the ADA, andwhile technologies such as PESA’sVIQ integrated solution were notspecifically designed to address

ADA compliance, says John Wright,senior vice president, sales and busi-ness development at PESA, theapplication can significantlyenhance access to courts, judicial,and public hearings for those withpermanent or temporary physicallimitations. “The ease of use andportability of the VIQ-PESA inte-grated solution allows for hearings,depositions, interviews, or arraign-ments to take place outside the tra-ditional four walls of the courthouse,police station, or jail facility.”

He further explains the develop-ing use of the application. “As isbeginning to occur in limited use,taking an interview recording man-agement system to the bedside of asexual assault or domestic violencevictim can reduce the time from ini-tial report of the incident to thegranting of a restraining order. Useof a proven system such as VIQ soft-ware with the PESA hardware cre-ates an admissible audio and moreimportantly video record of the vic-tim's injuries for use in legal pro-ceedings.”

In further regards to use ofremote technology, CLCT conductsexperimental cases in which theystudy how modern technology canbe used in courtrooms. One sce-nario CLCT is considering is ifsomeone would make a perfect jurorbut due to a disability was unable toaccess the courtroom. Among theupcoming trials will be one in whichCLCT will experiment with theworld’s first remote juror who willbe participating through telecom-munication.

The PESA VIQ system’s userinterface with visual cueing couldalso permit a deaf operator to man-age the recording of proceedings.“Additionally the multi-camera syn-chronization capability of PESA'shardware easily allows for the cap-ture and recording of simultaneoussign language interpretation. For allpublic proceedings, having this abil-ity will improve access for the hear-

Enersound’s Assistive Listening System can improve comprehension for people whohave difficulty hearing.


April/May 2015


ing impaired,” according to Wright.Visualizers are a growing compo-

nent in courtrooms, and manufac-turers such as WolfVision are takingstrides to ensure that users of allabilities are able to access them.Among those strides, says KyleGreetham, communications manag-er, was placing full control of thevisualizers at the head of the camerawith ambidextrous design. “There isno built-in favoritism for right-handed or left-handed people, andsurely this can benefit amputees.”They have also modified the units tobe able to include dry erase surfaceson the working surfaces of theirvisualizers. “This has been a bigpush from us because many wheel-chair-bound users cannot stand upto use a whiteboard.”

There is also the matter thatmany control systems are built intopodiums, but if a user is unable tostand to access it, it may be of nouse. “Our vSolution Connect appgives full control of all of a speaker’smaterials via a control dashboard ontheir tablet, so they don't have toworry about switching cables ormoving objects around,” he adds.

Courts are becoming more andmore technological, especially inaudio/visual matters, and this canlead to issues of access for those witha disability. For example, saysLederer, Public Access to CourtElectronic Records (PACER) is notaccessible to the blind, so a lawyerwho has lost his or her sight is lockedout. There is also a catch-22 to theexplosion of courtroom technology,

Lederer points out. “Technology isgreat, but it might be making its ownproblem.” Courts are getting moreand more visual and will continue todo so, which will be a barrier to par-ticipants with a sight impairment. APowerPoint demonstration mightmake matters more difficult for some-one who is blind, but it might beinvaluable for someone who is deaf. Itis, says Lederer, a matter with whichCLCT is getting “increasingly moreconcerned.” It is not a new problem,but “as lawyers get more used totechnology, we might be making itworse.”

All the more reason to thinkabout accommodations for thosephysically-challenged and how tobest address accessibility for all inyour court.

“As is beginning tooccur in limited use,

taking an interviewrecording managementsystem to the bedside

of a sexual assault or domestic violence

victim can reduce the time from initial

report of the incidentto the granting of a

restraining order.”

—FREDRIC LEDERER


April/May 2015


BY MADDIE ALEXANDER

The fuTureof judicial space management isdynamic signage. Technologicaladvances in judicial digital signageare moving at a rapid pace. Currentsolutions are becoming more flexibleand can now display directionalinformation in both an appealingand aesthetic manner.

Not all courthouses are the same.They are not built the same, do notlook the same and hopefully do nothave a reoccurring visitor base thatis familiar with their facility. Thispresents multiple directional issuesfor the courts that were previouslylimited to using static wayfindingsignage as the main communicationbetween patron and personnel.

A dynamic wayfinding systemlinks everyone together, even if theydo not share a common end locationor language, by guiding them

through the same space with a sin-gle system of communication. Theunifying language of a wayfindingsystem creates a public narrative ofhow people experience a space suchas a courthouse. Each sign in a sys-tem serves a particular function.

In recent years, there has been abig push by all courthouses, no mat-ter their size, to refresh conventionalstatic signage with new featuressuch as electronic emergency-alertnotifications, visitor messaging,touch screens and automatic dock-ets. These features have become pri-orities to courts for the success ofdirecting patrons.

In just the last four years thisauthor has watched as dynamicwayfinding has progressed throughuse of identification, directional, ori-entation and regulatory signage. Wecontinue to dedicate countless hoursto research and development and

have found that the future ofwayfinding is a bundled package ofsoftware modules that are useful toeach court’s unique need.

types of

signage

identification

signageWe often find that a series of

identification signage monitors likeelectronic interactive maps andturn-by-turn guidance to primarydestinations (lobbies, elevators andfloors) and secondary destinations(Jury assembly areas, courtroomlocations and emergency exits) isboth effective and economical.Interactivity and independence arequalities that our systems deploy inthe courthouse.

DynamicJuDicialSignage

What direction Will the future bring?

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April/May 2015x


The Infax Smart Screen modulegenerates indoor maps as three-dimensional floor plans. These canbe seen on monitors, kiosks andsmart devices. Maps show all build-ing attributes like walls, stairs, ele-vators, emergency exits and doors.Previously courts resorted to staticdirectories printed on paper.

Three-dimensional interactivemaps have been shown to be easierto use than ordinary maps for peo-ple moving through a structure,allowing users to orient themselvesin space and easily correct theirposition if they get off track. InfaxSmart Screens like kiosks can be ontouchscreen monitors as well asfloor standing hardware to enablecourt patrons to remain indepen-dent and fully informed at all times.

Smart Screens offer routing aswell. Should the visitor start with aninformation kiosk and need to moveon to their final destination, theSmart Screen application can beloaded onto a smart device and thesystem calculates the best route

from a given starting point to aselected destination point and drawsthis onto 3D maps as a highlightedline leading through all relevantfloors and destinations.

In order to be successful, Infaxbelieves that it is vital to integratenew digital and conventional staticsignage. In order for wayfinding tobe effective, dynamic signage mustshow only the information that isneeded at that particular point inthe courthouse. Visitors not onlyknow what to do when they enterthe courthouse, but they also knowwhere to go every step of the way.

directional

signageDocketCall automates the daily

docket and lets the patron find theirname in 60 seconds or less.Automation utilizes the courts cur-rent case management systems andupdates the information in real-timeensuring the directional signage ison point at all times. Continuoustrends in signage include theadvancement of digital directoriesand interactive kiosks to help orientand guide.

orientation

signageSometimes getting to the court-

house is the easiest part! Once visi-tors are inside they can be over-whelmed with the directionaloptions available to them. The visi-tor must make decisions basedonly on the available and readilyvisible information. Orientationsignage can be very useful as it cannow show electronic directories.

Identification signage, whichcan be set up to transmitinfo to a mobile phone.

An orientation sign informspatrons of procedures andkeeps them circulatingsmoothly.

It is important for regulatorysignage to be dynamic in

case of emergency.


April/May 2015


These systems allow for courts tomanage a flowing directory or makefast changes to an upcoming docket.Changes are easily made to reflectoffice changes or specific updatedlocations.

General orientation signage canshow a rotation of emergency exits,specific offices, general informationsuch as weather or traffic and a wel-come message.

regulatory

signageRegulatory signage is a giant leap

forward in the judicial signageindustry. Emergency alerts aresomething that we hope you neverhave to deploy. To help courts beprepared for the unexpected, solu-tions are available to help respondto any type of emergency. Infaxemergency alert notifications canautomatically integrate with the cur-rent fire alarm systems so that ifthere should be a fire emergency, all

monitors automatically change toinform the patrons of specific infor-mation of the next steps. When reg-ulatory signage is well integratedinto the system, the monitors seemlike an essential part of the overallexperience, and not just a necessaryevil.

Each of the four types of signagecan be shown on wall, floor or ceil-ing mounted as well as structuremounted hardware. Software andhardware advancements have keptthe digital signage industry everevolving.

Commercial monitor hardware isbecoming increasingly more power-ful, slimmer and more affordable.We are seeing a request for individ-ual monitors as small as 10 inchesand as large as 95 inches. Somecourts need monitors that curve orform a video wall. For the courtsthat want to go larger we haveaccommodated video walls withunlimited and expandable size. Onthe flip side of larger viewing screen

area the monitors are slimmer andlighter than ever. Kiosks are becom-ing slimmer as well. They have moreoptional capabilities like video mon-itoring, printing, retinal scans andrecording.

Making these systems simplified,secured, and affordable is essentialto advancing dynamic wayfindingsignage and interactive technologyin the judicial space.

Courts have found that patronshave been able to not only find theirway through the courthouse, butthey are able to do it independentlyand without question thanks to theelectronic signage. It is because allcourthouses are not the same thatthe dynamic advanced modules inthe CourtSight Suite are the futureof courthouses.

Maddie Alexander is the director ofJudicial sales at Infax, developer of theCourtSight Suite integrated digitalsignage solution. She is a Women inAV contributor.

“We, at Infax,

believe that in

order for wayfind-

ing to be effective,

dynamic signage

must show only the

information that is

needed at that

particular point in

the courthouse.” This orientation sign alerts the patron toa future holiday closing

This welcome sign orients the visitor asthey enter the complex.


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April/May 2015


BY BILL SCHIFFNER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

According to the AIIPA there arecurrently more than 300,000 ignitioninterlock devices installed in theU.S. The ignition interlock industryhas expressed concern about theirability to field enough devices toreplace the current U.S. inventory.

In addition, as many states estab-lish more ignition interlock pro-grams, most incorporate theNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) modelspecifications into their device certi-fication requirements. The NHTSAencourages states to continue thatpractice by determining how to bestimplement new model specificationsto strengthen the quality of BAIIDsused in their program. These andother issues will be some of themajor topics being discussed atAIIPA’s Third Annual IgnitionInterlock Conference, May 17- 20 inSt. Paul, Minn.

“AIIPA Conferences promote theadvancement of state ignition inter-lock programs to increase trafficsafety measures that will ultimatelyreduce impaired driving within ourcommunities. This is made possible

through the collaboration and net-working of hundreds of industryprofessionals from different stateadministrations, state jurisdictions,government organizations, ignitioninterlock providers, and associatedmanufacturers,” comments BradBoyd vice president of Operations atLow Cost Interlock.

“With numerous states expand-ing the use of ignition interlocks, Ibelieve the upcoming Third AnnualAIIPA Conference will focus on top-ics concerning implementation ofthe 2013 NHTSA Model Safety andUtility Specifications including theassociated Quality Assurance Planand the ignition interlock certifica-tion process, increasing vendoroversight through field operationinspections, and the utilization ofnew technology such as automatedcalibration equipment, GPS track-ing, and camera usage,” Boyd adds.

Adam Comeau, executive vicepresident of ALCOLOCK USA saysthat the latest trend for AIIPA isyearly manufacturer certifications instates that had indefinite certifica-tions. “In most states the Ignition

Interlock Program Administratorsare the same individuals that dealwith drug impaired driving and theywould like to see more attention putforward on dealing with this issue.”

More Accountability NeededJames F. Rennie, president &

CEO at SafeKey Corporation, fore-casts that by 2018 drugged drivingoffenses will surpass drinking anddriving.

“We do not see enough driveraccountability, poor decision mak-ing, act first think later, first offend-ers become re-offenders at a 49%rate. We believe when a driver’smobility is in question by usingproducts such as the SafeKey theychange the way they think prior tooperating the vehicle.”

Advances in Technology“New technology is contributing

to safer roads while improving theexperience for both the user and themonitoring agent,” reports MelissaRay, director of marketing, Alcoholand Drug Detection, Dräeger SafetyDiagnostics, Inc.

Ignition Interlock Issues,Technology on Display atAIIPA ConferenceTHE ASSOCIATION OF IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE HELD MAY 17- 20 IN ST. PAUL, MINN.

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April/May 2015x


She adds ignition interlockdevices are constantly being updat-ed with new features to help preventnew methods of circumnavigation.These upgrades have helped to dra-matically reduce the rates of repeatDUI offenses.

Here’s a sampling of some of thelatest interlock systems and othertesting devices that will be front andcenter at the conference:

INTERLOCK DEVICES

EXPANDED FEATURESALCOLOCK USA

announces theexpanded features ofthe ALCOLOCK LRignition interlockdevice, including cam-era, real time report-ing, and GPS. Thesenew features, com-bined with the simplic-ity and convenience ofthe InterTrack client

management software, provide themost robust ignition interlock pro-gram on the market.

http://alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646

PHOTO ID OPTIONSmart Start, Inc., a leader in alco-

hol monitoring with its ignitioninterlock and remote alcohol testingdevices, provides fully integratedservices, manufacturing, installation,

customer service, monitoring andadministrative support. The SSI-20/30 IID offers photo identification,GPS testing location, 24/7 onlineaccess reporting, programmable vio-lation levels, and immediate viola-tion notification to monitoringauthorities. www.SmartStartInc.com, 1.800.880.3394

BREATHALYZER SYSTEMThe Dräger

Interlock 7000 is anin-car breathalyzerthat reinvents the tra-ditional ignition inter-lock device to incor-porate enhanced userfeatures and monitor-ing capabilities. Inaddition, the intelli-gent camera, mouthalcohol detection, andGPS/GPRS optionsanticipate the compli-ance regulations.

www.draeger.com/interlock7000,1.800.332.6858

FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY

Simple Interlock, LLC is an alco-hol monitoring company featuringadvanced fuel cell technology. Itprovides convenient locations, 24/7customer service, administrativesupport and monitoring. The SimpleInterlock Co-Pilot IID offers 24/7access to online reports, customiz-

able violation levels, GPS monitor-ing, photo ID, and real-time viola-tion notification to monitoringauthorities.

www.simpleiid.com, 1.844.432.4775

IGNITION KEY IMMOBILIZER The SafeKey is a unique ignition

key immobilizer that prevents avehicle engine from starting if thedriver is unfit to drive safely. It isfully independent of other driveranalysis methods—breath or other-wise. About the size of a conven-tional automotive key, the CheckModule is the testing portion of theignition lock system. The CheckModule is easy to attach to one’s keyring. As further built-in security a

given Check Module only commu-nicates with a unique and individualcode only with the interlock devicespecifically installed in the vehicle.

www.safekeycorporation.com,1.877.920.8230

AFFORDABLE MOBILEALTERNATIVE

The IN-HOM S.M.A.R.T. Mobiledevice, SmartStart’s latest homealcohol monitoring device, is wire-less and allows a user to take thedevice with them on the go. Theunit works through Verizon’s cellu-


April/May 2015


lar network, giving users a light-weight, portable handheld device. Itis equipped with a camera providingphoto identification and also hasfeatures like GPS location and auto-mated notifications to alert user oftesting time.www.smartstartinc.com, 1.800.880.3394

WIRELESS IGNITIONINTERLOCK

Intoxalock eLERT is an advancedwireless ignition interlock with cam-era, GPS and real-time reportingcapabilities using our secure onlinewebsite, LOG Reporter. LOGReporter helps monitoring authori-ties manage workloads by display-ing BrAC readings with correspond-ing photos and GPS information.

www.Intoxalock.com, 1.877.777.5020

TARGET-TRACKING CAMERA SYSTEM

The LifeSafer FC100 IgnitionInterlock offers an exclusive patent-pending target-tracking camera sys-tem. The device features real-timereporting of violations and vehiclelocation. Indicator light signalshandset-to-camera link, enablingtest to begin. It can be separatelymounted near the rearview mirrorwithout obstructing driver’s view.

www.lifesafer.com, 1.800.634.3077

ALCOHOL-MONITORINGSOLUTIONS

Low CostInterlock special-izes in client life-cycle traceability byuse of a proprietarycalibration anddata delivery sys-tem. This patentedsystem improvesbreath sample

accuracy, tracks fuel cell life cycles,improves security of recorded data,and allows traceability of client datafrom program conception throughcompletion. Use of these innova-tions allows their clients to effort-

lessly satisfy any state-requiredobligation, says the company.

www.LowCostInterlock.com,1.800.352.4872

CONTINUOUS ALCOHOLMONITORING

SCRAM Continuous AlcoholMonitoring (CAM) is the mostwidely used CAM product in theworld, reports the company.Extensively peer-reviewed and courtvalidated, SCRAM CAM provides a

proven deterrent to drinking. Onany given day, SCRAM CAM gener-ates an average 99.4% Sober Daysrate, meaning that 99.4% of allclients being monitored by theproduct are sober and fully compli-ant with court orders.

www.alcoholmonitoring.com,1.800.557.0861

COMPACT MOBILE UNITThe Guardian AMS 2000 features

a compact design that is slightlylarger than a standard cell phone. Itoffers reliable data logging andenhanced anti-circumvention detec-tion. The unit also offers USB con-nection capability, which allows foreffortless downloading of events,without having to connect the baseunit in the vehicle. Additionally,participants may call a toll-freenumber to access technical and ser-vice personnel.

www.guardianinterlock.com,1.800.499.0994

REMOTE BREATHSCRAM Remote Breath is the

most flexible option in breath test-ing. It is the first handheld, wireless,portable breath alcohol tester that

includes government-grade facialrecognition, high-resolution photos,BrAC results, and a GPS locationwith every test. Automated facialmatching reduces manual photo

review by 90%-95%, while random,scheduled, and on-demanding test-ing provides more flexibility to mon-itor clients.

www.alcoholmonitoring.com,1.800.557.0861

BREATH TESTERSThe Intoxilyzer 9000, utilizing four

infrared wavelengths for sampleanalysis offers unparalleled perfor-mance in accuracy, precision anddetection by using pulsed infraredtechnology. Intoxilyzer breath alco-hol testers are trusted by U.S. statetesting programs for evidential DUIenforcement. With breath alcoholtesting products that are also usedextensively in safety-related work-place alcohol testing programs, CMIbreath testing instruments are idealfor court programs that requiredependable safety monitoring.

http://www.alcoholtest.com,1.877.783.0028

ALCOHOL BREATH ANALYSIS The Guth Alcotector Professional

was developed and manufactured toprovide reliable, fast and accuratealcohol breath analysis in a compact,portable and user-friendly electronicdevice. Constructed from the high-est quality components available, thecompany reports, the Alcotector isintended for heavy commercial and


April/May 2015x


law enforcement use without com-promising sensitivity and accuracy.The LCD digital display utilizes sim-ple visual prompts to show internalself-diagnostics and recalibration,test progress and test results.

http://guthlabs.com, 1.800.233.2338

CAMERA SYSTEMThe WC900 offers a wireless

handset and camera with a 2.4-inchtrue color touch screen display. Thecamera takes full cockpit pictures

during every breathtest and has datastorage of over30,000 images.Temperature andhumidity sensorsare used to deter-mine humanbreath. Advancedmultiple anti-cir-cumvention tech-

niques along with patented rollingretest feature that allows individualsto warm up their vehicle withoutbeing penalized.

www.bestlabsinc.com, 1.877.237.1541

AUTOMOTIVE ALCOHOLDETECTION SYSTEM

The Determinator ignition inter-lock device analyzes blood alcohol

content and determines if a driver iswithin a legal limit to get behind thewheel. The system’s computerrecords all test and pertinent drivingdata. This information is download-able and printable. Any attempt attampering with the unit registers inthis data log as well.

http://www.stopdwi.com, 1.800.STOP.DWI


April/May 2015


BY G.F . GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

DRUG TESTINGin probation and parole (P&P)requires the development of specialpolicies and protocols note theauthors of the report Drug Testing in aDrug Court Environment: CommonIssues to Address published in 2000 bythe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),Office of Justice Programs (OJP).“Even within the criminal justiceenvironment, drug testing can beconducted for very different purposes:prosecution, supervision of a defen-dant’s compliance with a pretrialrelease or probation order, or, as isthe case in drug courts, monitoring aparticipant’s progress in treatmentand compliance with drug court pro-gram conditions,” note authorsJerome Robinson, director, and JamesJones, deputy director, District ofColumbia Pretrial Services AgencyDrug Laboratory.

The protocols for drug testing byprobation and parole are unique toeach department, concurs AdamComeau, executive vice president,ALCOLOCK USA. “The parametersfor testing are set by their court oradministrative agency for each indi-vidual probationer or parolee.Testing is then administered basedon those parameters.”

But probation and parole are sim-ilar in that both require conditionsand supervision, says June Fields,account manager at OraSureTechnologies who has worked as anofficer in both juvenile and adultprobation and adult parole.“However, although usually pro-nounced synonymously, they can bevery different due to the nature ofrelease from jail or prison, respec-tively. Drug testing protocols in P&Pcan be very similar but subject tocertain rules based on the offense,

conditions imposed, adult or juve-nile sanctioned, and level of super-vision.”

For example, she notes, anoffender that has committed a mis-demeanor offense may be subject toa less stringent drug testing programthan an offender who commits afelony offense. “Drug testing is alsoperformed at the P.O.'s discretion.An offender who commits a drugoffense will almost always be sub-jected to drug/alcohol testing and/orsubstance abuse treatment.” Fieldsadds, “Urine drug testing has beenused for decades and is oftenreferred to as the ‘gold standard.’Recently, newer drug testing tech-nologies have emerged that offer avariety of choices based on theneeds of those testing.”

Of the newer testing technologiesthat have emerged, oral collectionhas found a foothold, according to

Probation & Parole Protocol + ProductsDRUG TESTING:

HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM BEATERS

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Marion Varec, PR Manager, NorthAmerica, Dräger, noting that drugdetection in oral fluid provides aunique opportunity for the proba-tion/parole officer to identify recentuse. “Having a mobile device thatcan be used anywhere, anytime,without adulteration provides anopportunity to screen individuals onthe spot and get results immediate-ly.” She adds, “Standard lab drugtesting protocol would be followedfor positive screening results.”

Michael Greene, spokespersonfor American Screening, LLC,acknowledges that P.O.’s may teston or off site with urine or salivatests, oftentimes for budget con-straints. “On site offers huge mone-tary savings as only positive tests aresent in for confirmation.” And, as ananswer to a new dilemma, “Salivatests are being used for the trans-gender population in someCalifornia Drug Courts,” he con-firms.

Always striving to keep up withthese new dilemmas,ThermoScientific is creating webinarson drug testing, attests Kathy Ruzich,manager, Global MarketingCommunications, ClinicalDiagnostics/ Niche Products, ThermoFisher Scientific. “We have a webinarthat was published on our websitedirected to the drug court audience(http://www.thermoscientific.com/en/about-us/events/criminal-justice-webinars.html), and, there are plansto continue the webinar series in thenext month or two.”

Whether webinars, research,papers from the DOJ, OJP, theNational Association of Drug CourtProfessionals, its arm of the NationalDrug Court Institute, or theAmerican Probation and ParoleAssociation, a universal protocol pre-vails: variable testing. As all pursuebest practices in protocol, the para-meter is the common factor to thesuccess of the drug program: to “beatthe beater,” with random testing.

Whether the testing is done on-or off-site, by instant read or labresults, by the urine standard or oneof the new technological methods,

the common thread is to keep it dif-ferent to dissuade the offender fromfinding a way to invalidate the drugtest. Meanwhile, the “standard” ofurine testing improves its detectiongamut with new immunoassays formore drugs, while recent technologyand devices introduce the variationsso not only breath and saliva, butsleep patterns, eye movements, skinand sweat are targets of testing.

A sampling of products—stan-dards to new technologicaldrug/alcohol tests—are showcasedand include information for moredetails.

SURFACE, SALIVA, SWEATALCOLOCK USA is the exclu-

sive distributor of DrugWipe drugtesters in the United States. TheDrugWipe range of drug screeningdevices provides a convenient, reli-able means to detect common drugsof abuse, testing for invisible residueof drugs on surfaces, in saliva or insweat. DrugWipe provides rapid testresults providing an analysis in 3 to8 minutes and it is easy to read withdistinctive test lines visible in casesof drug use. When printed results

April/May 2015x



April/May 2015


are required, the DrugRead elec-tronic test reader is available to doc-ument the DrugWipe test results viawireless printer.

www.alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646,[email protected]

PORTABLE BREATH TESTThe ALERT J4X portable breath

alcohol tester from ALCOLOCKUSA is a DOT-approved alcohol

screening device utilizing a high-quality electrochemical sensor (fuelcell) for police-grade accuracy. Asingle push button control enablespower, testing, test recall and cali-bration modes. The ALERT J4X iseasy-to-use and built to last.


BREATH SAMPLERW/PRINTER

The ALERT J5 breath alcoholtester is a DOT-approved alcohol-screening device that easily capturesbreath samples and prints testresults with the optional wireless

print function. It utilizes anadvanced electrochemical (fuel cell)sensor that offers both passive andactive testing capabilities. In addi-tion, the it provides results storageof up to 1,000 tests in memory.


SALIVA ALCOHOL TESTOraSure offers the QED saliva

alcohol test, a CLIA-waived andDOT approved on-site, rapid, lowcost alterna-tive to breathor blood test-ing. With ahigh correla-tion to bloodalcohol levels,QED has atesting rangeof 0-145mg/dL andp r o v i d e squant i ta t i veresults in min-utes.www.chooseintercept.com, 1.800.orasure

(672.7873) or 1.610.882.1820

ORAL FLUID SYSTEM OraSure Technologies’ Intercept

Oral Fluid Drug Testing System wasthe first FDA-cleared in-vitro diag-

nostic laboratory-based oral fluiddrug testing system, and is the onlyone that is FDA cleared for detectionof nine commonly-abused drugs. Itcombines the ease, efficiency, andcost savings of oral fluid collectionwith increased sample integrity andthe accuracy of laboratory-baseddrug tests.www.chooseintercept.com, 1.800.orasure

(672.7873) or 1.610.882.1820

ORAL DRUG TESTThe DrugTest 5000 from Draeger

Safety Diagnostics, Inc. provides analternative to the collection of urineor blood samples. Performed with

ease and with results provided with-in minutes, the Dräger DrugTest is amobile system that uses oral fluid to


April/May 2015


test for seven types of the mostcommonly-abused drugs. Thisquick drug test provides a non-inva-sive alternative to sample collection.

www.draeger.com/DrugTest,1.972.929.1100, [email protected]

RAPID URINE TESTA m e r i c a n

Screening, LLC’sETG rapid urinedrug test offers afast, easy, andaccurate test forelevated levels ofalcohol with upto 80-hourdetection. Readresults at 5 min-utes, and theresults are stablefor 1 hour (500ng/mL cut-off).Comparable tolab tests, and theproduct has a 24-month shelf lifefrom date ofm a n u f a c t u r e(25/case).

www.american-screeningcorp.com, 318.798.3306,

[email protected]

READ CUPSThe Reveal Mini 12-Panel Cup is

a 120ml cup that is easy to use: justpeel and read. The larger openingenables easier collection. Best Value:Free gloves and security seals, andlower shipping cost with more effi-cient design. Tests available for 5, 6,10, and 12 drugs; they provide 99%accuracy. Package contents: 25 cups,25 security seals, and 25 pair ofgloves (for donor when providingspecimen in cup).

www.americanscreeningcorp.com,318.798.3306, sales@americanscreening-

corp.com

HYDROCODONE/HYDROMORPHONE ASSAY

The new Thermo Scientific DRI

Hydrocodone/HydromorphoneAssay is a homogeneous enzymeimmunoassay that specificallydetects hydrocodone and majormetabolites in human urine at a 300ng/mL cut-off. The assay utilizes liq-uid ready-to-use reagents, calibra-tors and controls, and can be run inqualitative and semi-quantitativemodes. The assay has excellentcross-reactivity to the majormetabolites hydromorphone andhydromorphone glucuronide. DRIHydrocodone/HydromorphoneAssay demonstrates good correla-tion with LC-MS/MS and has excel-lent assay precision. It is a sensitive,specific and easy-to-use screeningtool for hydrocodone and majormetabolites in urine samples.

www.thermoscientific.com/diagnostics,1.800.556.2323

UNOBTRUSIVE TESTINGPassPoint.net measures involun-

tary eye reflex reactions to light. Itcollects key eye measurements andcompares them to an individual’s

personalized baseline with measure-ments identifying impairment relat-ed to current and recent substanceuse. PassPoint has a 48-hour win-dow of detection for the most com-monly abused substances, and alco-hol use is tested using a Lifelocbreathalyzer. The subject enters aunique identifier on the screen andvalidates fingerprint biometrically. Abreath test is completed, then an eyescan in about 17 seconds. Resultsare downloaded onto a HIPPA com-pliant server, analyzed andprinted/and or emailed to an offi-cer/clinician. PassPoint is a comple-ment to urine testing and eliminatesapproximately 90 percent of nega-tive urinalysis.

www.streetimetechnologies.com,1.877.727.7764,

[email protected]

FENTANYL ASSAYThe Thermo Scientific DRI

Fentanyl Assay is one of the newestimmunoassay in the drugs of abusetest menu. Some of the unique fea-


April/May 2015


tures of this assay include: Liquidready to use, excellent precision, nocross reactivity to structurally-relat-ed compounds, excellent correlationto LC-MS/MS, no daily calibrationrequired, 2 ng/mL qualitative cutoff,quality controls +50% and -50% ofthe cutoff, and applications availablefor various analyzers.

www.thermoscientific.com/diagnostics,1.800.556.2323

ALCOHOL AND DRUGDETECTION

The SleepTime Technologiesdevice, worn like a wristwatch, is aprecision accelerometer used to

measure acceleration and gravityreaction forces, detecting bothalcohol and drug use. The wearer’sfrequency and intensity of move-ment are measured based on theresearch that abuse of alcohol anddrugs disrupt sleep andincrease/decrease movement dur-ing sleep/wake periods. The tech-nology is secured with a tamper-resistant/tamper-evident band.Legitimate medications are enteredinto the data system as part of thebaseline reading. Uploads are doneat the administering facility callingfor a UA if warranted.

www.streetimetechnologies.com,1.877.727.7764, info@streetimetechnolo-

gies.com

DRUG TESTING SYSTEMThe Siemens Viva-E System

provides a menu of gold stan-dard EMIT assays for fast analysis

of drugs of abuse, therapeuticdrugs and immunosuppressants,as well as sample validity testingon a single bench top analyzer.It is designed for low- to mid-vol-ume labs, treatment centers,transplant management centers,criminal justice facilities, andindustrial facilities. The user-friendly interface is based onWindows software and requireslittle maintenance.

www.healthcare.siemens.com or1.888.826.9702

AD I N DEX COMPANY PAGE NO.

This advertisers index is provided as a serviceto our readers only. The publisher does not

assume liability for errors or omissions.

APPA ..................................23

CourtView..........................17

Draeger Medical

Systems ..........................27

FTR Limited ........................5

Infax .....................................2

Journal Technologies .......13

NCSC..................................33

StunCuff

Enterprises, Inc. ...............4

Thermo Fisher

Scientific .........................31

Thomson Reuters.............36

Tyler Technologies ...........35

Xerox....................................9


april/may courts today

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