On May 3, Tucson City Court began streaming first criminal appearance proceedings live on YouTube.
First appearances are held every day of the year at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. All in-custody defendants are required by Arizona law to be seen by a judicial officer within 24 hours of arrest. During an initial appearance hearing, the accused is advised of the charges, their right to an attorney, their release conditions, and their next hearing date.
The court has no plans to record the video streams. Digital audio recordings are available by contacting City Court.
For many years, Tucson City Court has effectively collaborated with Pima County Superior Court, Pima County Consolidated Justice Court, other justice and municipal courts in Pima County, and local justice agencies to connect remotely with the jail and conduct first appearance hearings twice each day. This program is known as “2XIA” (Twice-A-Day Initial Appearances).
In 2020, it became evident that the court’s limited video capability was insufficient to meet the remote hearing demands presented by the pandemic. In response, City Court initiated a major upgrade of its remote hearing capability.
Remote hearing platforms such as Teams and Zoom enhance service by expanding the number of court participants who can appear and observe proceedings remotely. Pre-Covid, first appearances were the only hearings City Court heard by remote video technology. Now, the court relies upon Teams and Zoom to conduct more than a third of all hearings remotely.
Tucson City Court Presiding Judge Antonio Riojas, Jr. noted, “in light of the pandemic lessons, the use of remote hearings will continue, and they make the court more accessible to the public.”
City Court magistrates have conducted first appearances by video for all Pima County cases for many years. However, the existing video technology only allowed a video connection between two locations; both of these locations were at the jail. The public still had to go to the jail to observe the proceedings.
Judge Riojas stated, “the new remote hearing platforms are simpler, have more robust features, and are more stable than the technology they replace.”