New Camera Court System

A New camera system in the Crawford County Court House allows the judge to see and talk to inmates during their hearings without them being in the court room. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department escorts suspects from jail to court and back again every day. That means accused murderers, rapists and other suspects are crossing the street in downtown Van Buren, and sometimes the suspects out-number the bailiff as many as twenty eight to one. That’s not the case anymore. Chief Deputy Ron Brown says, "With the video arraignment now, these inmates can stay in jail in a secure facility and basically the judge, and the prosecutor, and the public defender watch them on TV, and they watch them on TV, and they communicate back and forth." Brown says the new cameras are making court a safer place. Brown explains, "This way, keeping them in the jail is more secure. It allows the bailiff to be able to concentrate more on the audience and more on whats going on in the court room." Brown says the new system will also eventually cut costs, especially for suspects who need to travel long distances. Brown explains, "To spend gas is you know averaging 2.75 a gallon and plus it takes a deputy, you know, when we bring them for court we have to bring them back and thats two days of a deputy not patrolling the streets because hes transporting a prisoner." Right now they’re only using the cameras for first court appearances, but Brown says once everyone gets used to them, he hopes to use them for arraignments and even entire court hearings.