Coronavirus: Fairborn Municipal Court granted emergency technology grant

FAIRBORN — Many courts have temporarily slowed their operations due to Gov. DeWine’s stay-at-home order, but one local municipal court was given a grant to help them resume operating in an alternative form.

Fairborn Municipal Court was given $24,835.18 from the Supreme Court of Ohio as an emergency remote technology grant, according to Judge Beth W. Cappelli.

“It is my hope that by pushing out this funding on an emergency basis we can assist the local courts with a quick implementation of video conferencing for arraignments and other conferencing needs,” said Maureen O’Connor, chief justice.

The court is planning to use the funding to purchase a new video conferencing system that will allow for hearings to take place while abiding by social distancing.

“We will use this technology to expand what we can do virtually—pretrials and other hearings will be conducted remotely," Cappelli said.

"In addition, our probation department will conduct bond assessments remotely for individuals in custody with pending charges to determine who can be released with any appropriate conditions, in order to not overburden our jails.”

Along with other businesses, courts are finding creative ways to resume working as normally as they can during this unprecedented time.

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