Client: Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Courthouse
Location: El Dorado County, California
Technology should disappear into the background, especially in a courtroom. With a modern audio and video system designed around how the space is actually used, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians now has confidence that every proceeding is captured clearly and every voice is part of the record.
Ensuring Every Voice Is Heard
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians operates a fully functioning tribal courthouse where important decisions, testimony, and legal proceedings take place every day.
The challenge was simple, but significant: not every voice in the room was being captured clearly.
Parts of the courtroom had become difficult to hear in recordings. Comments from audience members were sometimes missed. Attorneys seated at the prosecution and defense tables were not always picked up consistently. Quiet speakers could easily get lost in the recording altogether.
When proceedings need to be transcribed, reviewed, or referenced during an appeal, incomplete recordings create unnecessary risk.
The court needed confidence that every participant could be heard, every time.
The Challenge
Courtrooms depend on accurate records. If testimony, questions, or comments are difficult to hear, it becomes harder to create reliable transcripts and preserve a complete record of what occurred. The existing system simply wasn’t covering the entire room. Some areas were clear. Others were not. The result was inconsistent recordings and uncertainty about whether every voice was making it into the official record.
The Solution
Paradyme began with a full evaluation of the courtroom and how people actually used the space. Rather than replacing everything, we focused on the areas where communication was breaking down. The new system was designed to capture voices more naturally throughout the room while improving visibility for remote participants and recorded proceedings.
The solution included:
- A Shure MXA920 ceiling microphone array
- Three Hudly Crew cameras for improved room coverage
- System tuning and configuration tailored to the courtroom environment
The goal was straightforward: make sure everyone could be seen, heard, and accurately documented.
The Results
Today, attorneys, court staff, witnesses, and community members can all participate with confidence that their voices are being captured clearly. Recordings are more complete. Transcripts are more reliable. And the court has greater confidence that proceedings are being documented accurately.
Outcomes:
- Clear audio throughout the courtroom
- No more missed testimony or difficult-to-hear recordings
- Improved video coverage across the space
- Better support for transcripts, reviews, and appeals
- Greater confidence in the accuracy of courtroom records