COLUMBIANA COUNTY Municipal courts ready for video plan

The system probably will start operating early next month.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Installation is expected to begin later this week on a system for conducting video hearings in Columbiana County's municipal courts.
The system will allow county jail prisoners to make routine court appearances electronically rather than by showing up personally.
Enabling prisoners to communicate from the jail with a judge will improve security and save the county money in transportation costs, officials say.
Workers intend to start putting in the video and monitoring equipment Thursday or Friday, Clerk of Courts Anthony Dattilio said Tuesday.
Training period
Equipment installation will be followed by a period of fine-tuning and testing the system. Then staff must be trained in its use, Dattilio explained.
He said he expects the system, which will transmit over telephone lines, to be operating by early November.
The equipment will be installed in East Liverpool Municipal Court as well as the three county municipal court buildings in Salem, Lisbon and East Palestine.
The cost is about $60,000, which is being shared by East Liverpool and the county court. The county is getting its share from a special fund fueled through court costs charged to defendants.
Sheriff approves
Sheriff Dave Smith has applauded the video hearing effort.
His department is responsible for moving prisoners from the jail to the various courts.
He has estimated that the county will save thousands of dollars annually by having the video system in place.
Getting prisoners to and from court appearances requires about five deputies, who spend nearly three hours daily on the chore.
The new system will be portable, meaning it can be moved to the new county municipal court building being planned.
Court officials are still trying to determine a location for the courthouse, which will be built in or near Lisbon and house all three county municipal courts under one roof.
leigh@vindy.com