The James A. Byrne United States Courthouse, located in Philadelphia, is a federal courthouse that houses the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The courthouse was constructed between 1970 and 1975, blending modern architecture with its surroundings. Opened in 1975, the building serves as a hub for the federal judiciary system in the region.
The James A. Byrne Courthouse faced a challenging situation with 50 courtrooms, each outfitted with different AV products and manufacturers. This lack of standardisation among AV systems made it nearly impossible to determine the specific equipment in each room. Additionally, much of the technology was outdated and failing. As a result, the Pennsylvania Eastern District began to evaluate the next iteration of courtroom technology. A significant amount of time was dedicated to product research to identify a unified ecosystem that could be implemented moving forward.
“I prioritised finding stable, long-lasting products for our AV systems,” said Michael Corkery, director of IT for the District Court. Corkery added, “Our goal was to adopt a fully converged model using existing infrastructure. After testing Visionary’s demo kit and monitoring energy usage and our network, it became clear that the PacketAV Matrix Series was the right fit. I approached this project with complete vendor neutrality and Visionary earned its place solely on its technical merits. As a result, we equipped six courtrooms in 12 months with the PacketAV Matrix Series, and the results have been outstanding.”
At the James A. Byrne United States Courthouse, a typical courtroom design includes a prosecution table, a defense table and occasionally a third table for additional attorneys or U.S. attorneys. The jury box typically features eight to 10 monitors, each equipped with Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series decoder. At the attorney tables, there are two monitors per table, resulting in a total of six PacketAV Matrix Series decoders, along with source devices. Additionally, the system incorporates a wireless presentation solution connected to an encoder and a large display in the gallery, often an 86-in monitor. In the initial courtroom installation, an MV4 Multiviewer was implemented, with plans now underway to upgrade to MV5 Multiviewers. The system is designed for scalability and longevity, achieved through close collaboration with Visionary.
“In June of 2024, we received our first MV5 Multiviewer and are integrated it into the new courtroom,” explained Corkery. “We’re currently working on the third of the six initial courtrooms and plan to make another purchase later this year. Our goal is to upgrade 25 courtrooms over a five-year timeline, starting December of 2023. Our rapid implementation plan is designed to address our outdated systems by upgrading five courtrooms per year over the next five years. This overhaul is critical, as we’ve encountered issues with faulty equipment disrupting trials. These upgrades will not only enhance reliability but also future-proof our courtrooms for years to come.”
