Stetson Law completes high tech accessible courtroom for elder advocacy

Stetson University College of Law iscompleting construction on the nation’s first elder-friendly, high-techcourtroom on its Gulfport campus. The completed courtroom will bededicated Sept. 16, 2005, in honor of Professor Emeritus William R.Eleazer, who spent his career training ethical advocates.
 
The barrier-free courtroom, a joint effort of Stetson’s Centers forExcellence in Advocacy and Elder Law, is designed as a national modelto increase courtroom access to the elderly and disabled. It usescutting-edge technology including flat-panel monitors to displayevidence, hearing amplification devices to make speech more audible,and a multi-lingual software speech synthesizer that will read aloudwords displayed on a computer screen, translate them into multiplelanguages, and even output words to refreshable Braille displays ifneeded.
 
The teaching courtroom features a double jury box with one-way glass,which will allow students to monitor mock juries and focus groups. Aflat-panel touch screen outside the courtroom will explain the roles ofcourt personnel in the proceedings.
 
The courtroom will be used first by Stetson’s Elder Consumer ProtectionProgram, which offers free public seminars to raise awareness ofconsumer scams as well as programs to train law enforcement, protectiveservices workers, and assistant state attorneys on investigating andprosecuting consumer frauds against elders.

Read more at Stetson’s website.  Stetson’s Elder Law Program is directed by Professor Rebecca Morgan.  The school is hosting a national symposium on elder exploitation in September.