Lake County's courtroom technology is expanding

Four more Lake County courtrooms will soon be equipped with multimedia technology that will make conducting trials easier for all involved.

Since September 2006, 19th Judicial Circuit officials have been installing widescreen television monitors in selected courtrooms.

The monitors accept signals from a computer-equipped podium that can be moved from courtroom to courtroom and can project PowerPoint presentations, VCR tapes, DVD discs, documents, photographs and three dimensional objects onto the screens.

Courtrooms on the second and third floor of the Waukegan courthouse are already equipped with the systems, which also have separate monitors at the judge's bench and the witness stand.

Last week, the county board's Law and Judicial committee approved the purchase of monitors for four more courtrooms and an additional podium.

The equipment will cost $65,984 and is being supplied by Nomad Technologies of Eden Prairie, Minn.

Sheriff chat

Do you have a question you would like to ask Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran?

If so, Tuesday, July 21, is your chance to participate in a live chat with Curran and Undersheriff Charles Fagan.

At 10:30 a.m., Curran and Fagan will be appearing on LCTV, broadcast on channel 18 or 30 on Comcast systems and channel 99 on AT&T.

People with questions can email them to sheriffchat@lakecountyil.gov either during the broadcast or before it and watch the lawmen answer them live.

The exchange can also be followed by logging onto lakecountyil.gov.

Heard in the hallway

Attention citizens of Wildwood and Gages Lake. Independence Day was 16 days ago. You can stop setting off fireworks now.