Tech Tools

From the Office of Court Administration's website: 

In order to facilitate court activities, the Office of Court Administration is providing Judges the ability to stream and host court proceedings via Zoom and YouTube. Under the Open Courts Provision of the Texas Constitution, it requires that all courts maintain public access.

Only State of Texas Judges are eligible for access to the OCA provided Zoom accounts. To request access or inquire about a previous request please contact: ​

New Zoom accounts are being activated on a rolling basis several times daily. OCA staff are working diligently to ensure that all Texas Judges gain access as soon as possible.

For more information, click here. 

Our staff attorney Amber Myers shares some examples in this "Tech Tools" webinar. You can receive .5 hours of judicial education for watching this webinar. 

Are you using a software for virtual hearings besides Zoom? Let us know so we can connect other judges who may have questions about additional software options. Send your information to Jessica at jessforeman@txstate.edu. 

Zoom has many video tutorials available on their site that cover each specific step you may have questions about. Click here to see the Zoom tutorials. 

Check out TJCTC's mock virtual hearing to see what a virtual hearing might look like in practice. 

Featuring Judge Rick Hill and....Cecil the cat. 

Yes! Judge Nicholas Chu from Travis County has shared his video conference instructions he is using in his court. Click here to download the instructions. 

The Texas Access for Justice Commission has created several helpful documents illustrating tips for handling cases involving self-represented litigants remotely. Click here to download the documents. 

The Office of Court Administration has provided a bench card to outline the proper procedures. Click here to download the bench card. 

1. Disable Guest Screen Sharing. By restricting screen sharing to the host, you can prevent anyone else from being able to display what is on their desktop.
2. Require the Host to Be Present.
3. Keep Your Personal Meeting ID Private.
4. Use a Password.
5. Use The Waiting Room.

Check out these articles for more information

https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/hackers-are-trying-to-get-into-your-zoom-meetings-here-are-5-ways-to-stop-them.html

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/securely-host-zoom-meeting

The Office of Court Administration produced a video on how to Conduct Effective Remote Hearings in Justice Court. You can watch the webinar by clicking here. 

If you are having trouble receiving our Newsletters, Upcoming Events, Alerts and Updates, you can now use an alternate email address to receive these emails. You can do this by logging in and updating your Student Information. Click Here for detailed instructions.

The first thing to do is check which browser you are using. Some participants have had trouble accessing the videos with good quality on older browsers. 

The best browser to view the videos on is Google Chrome. Try out this browser first if you are having trouble. 

Not sure what a browser is or don't know if yours is up to date? You can click on this website and it will tell you: https://www.whatismybrowser.com/

You can then take that information to your IT department and see if they can help you update it.