UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MAINE
ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE PRESENTATION
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine offers audio/visual equipment for use during hearings and trials. While each courtroom accommodates a different configuration of audio/visual equipment, they each have an Evidence Presentation System (EPS). Counsel must reserve the equipment well in advance of trial.
The EPS consists of a document camera (for displaying paper evidence to the court) with digital displays which allows the judge, attorneys, witnesses, and jury to view the evidence simultaneously.
The EPS also allows attorneys to connect a laptop for presentation of evidence using PowerPoint or other presentation software. Attorneys MUST provide their own technical assistance in preparing the laptop evidence presentation. The Court will not troubleshoot compatibility problems for attorneys using the EPS. Our system uses an HDMI connection for displaying evidence. If your laptop lacks this connection, you will need to provide an adapter to connect to the EPS.
In most courtrooms, the EPS includes annotation capability with the option to capture and print that annotation in the courtroom. Attorneys must advise IT in advance if they plan to use this capture and print feature. Annotations created using the EPS may only be moved into evidence after printing.
Important:
Attorneys who wish to use courtroom audio or visual equipment at a trial or hearing are required to understand and be prepared to operate the equipment.
Attorneys who plan to use their own electronic equipment (such as laptops) at a hearing or trial must schedule time well in advance to practice and to test their equipment’s compatibility with a courtroom’s system.
Practice time should be scheduled with the Information Technology (IT) staff listed below for a date not less than two weeks prior to a hearing or trial.
The Court may deny the use of audio/visual equipment during a hearing or trial to attorneys who have failed to attend a practice session to confirm their equipment’s compatibility with the court’s system.
For Reservations Contact:
Reservations should be made two weeks in advance of the date of the proceeding. To reserve the equipment and/or to schedule a practice session with the Information Technology (IT) staff, please call 207-274-5117, or submit a contact form here (select category: Electronic Evidence / AV Training).