03/02/2008

Associated Press

Expert testimony is now available from the Oregon State Police by remote control.

The agency's Forensic Services Division has installed video conferencing systems at its Salem headquarters and each of its regional labs to make its experts available to testify when travel is difficult or too costly and time-consuming.

"As of this date, no one has used it for testimony," said Donna Vogel, support specialist at the Pendleton lab, "but it's available and we try to encourage all courts to use it."

Although it has not been used in Pendleton courts, testimony has been taken by video conference in other Eastern Oregon counties, including Wallowa and Union counties, according to Justin Lazenby, a forensic scientist at the state police lab in Portland.

Vogel said the forensic scientists in her lab have tested the system and had several appointments to testify set up before the court date was canceled because the defendant struck a plea deal.

"It would have worked if the case would have gone to trial," Vogel said, "and saved a lot of travel."

Saving time on travel is one of the main reasons the state police purchased the video equipment. It wanted to keep scientists in the laboratory more, and less on the road, traveling to court appointments.

The systems also can allow the lab experts to provide testimony without having to stop work on other cases, or interfere with training classes, officials said.

Lazenby said the system allows a computer feed to show up on the screen as well. That way, if the scientist had a presentation or photos ready, he or she could show it along with the testimony.

"The system itself is basically a very high-end Web-cam," he said. "So as long as you have an Internet connection or a computer on the other end of one of these systems, you can connect."

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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.info