First-in-state court podcast humanizes judges

09/06/2016
By Elissa Cherney - Orlando Sentinel online.

On a recent morning, Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Fred Lauten walks into a small office, sits down in front of a Bluetooth microphone with notebook in hand and settles into a different role for the next half hour: podcast host.
 
It's a low-budget production. The only new equipment necessary – a $130 standing microphone and $250 portable recorder – creates a crisp, professional sound of his baritone voice. Everything else is made in-house, from the airy theme music to the podcast's logo.
 
The show, called "Open Ninth: Conversations Beyond the Courtroom," posts every Monday morning on the court's website. The first of its kind in the state, the podcast hosted by Lauten features personal stories from judges and interviews innovators in the legal field. It kicked off Aug. 15 as part of a communications plan put in place by the Florida Supreme Court that seeks to better connect with citizens.
 
"The courts have been somewhat behind the curve on social media, and in part, that stems from a Florida Supreme Court decision in the ethics field that said judges can't friend lawyers on social media," said Lauten, who became chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in 2014. "As a group, courts and judges were questioning what to do with social media."
Court personnel must walk a careful line when using the popular medium. They can't give legal advice or discuss pending cases, both of which would violate state ethics laws. That happened last year when Seminole-Brevard Circuit Judge Linda Schoonover resigned after facing scrutiny for sending a friend request to a woman while deliberating her divorce case.
 
With those considerations in mind, "Open Ninth" aims to demystify the courts and personalize judges, Lauten said. In the first episode, Lauten interviews Jorge Labarga, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, who details his journey from fleeing violence in communist Havana to becoming the state's highest jurist.
 
Another show shares a circuit judge's account of summitting Mount Kilimanjaro. And an upcoming episode will spotlight a judge who DJ's an early morning music show.
 
"We know that we're seen as men and women sitting in a raised platform in a courtroom wearing a robe. It's a very formal setting," Lauten said. "But we also realize that that setting sort of makes us impersonal to people."
 
Courts nationwide are jumping on the social media bandwagon too. According to the National Center for State Courts, 16 high courts or their administrations use Facebook while 31 turn to Twitter. Lower trial courts in 28 states use some form of social media, the center found.
 
Jarret Hann, an analyst at the Virginia-based center, said courts are adapting to the reality that most Americans — 80 percent according to the Pew Research Center — have social media profiles. To better communicate with citizens, courts must engage too.
 
"Many courts attempt this sort of outreach through partnerships with local schools and universities, often hosting tours of the courts, mock trials, and other sorts of youth engagement," he said in an email. "Podcasts are a way to put a human face, or story, on a court and will hopefully serve to improve public trust and confidence."
 
The Florida Supreme Court's strategic communication plan sets benchmarks for courts to meet through 2019. As a result, the Ninth Circuit set up a Facebook page and tweets more. They post about everything from procedural court changes to upcoming education events events and staff awards.
 
"It's the wave of the future," Lauten said. "We're a little slow sometimes in the courts system, but I think using technology will help citizens understand their courts better."
 
[email protected] or 407-420-5735
 
Where to find "Open Ninth: Conversations Beyond the Courtroom:"
 
iTunes, YouTube, Vimeo or
 
https://www.ninthcircuit.org/openninth
 

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