BROWARD JAIL CHANGES ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY

Ohh this post pains us to write. The agony, the irony of it all. But yet, we adhere to the bloggers' credo of "giving credit where credit is due...except when it relates to winning a case."

BROWARD JAIL AND ELECTRONICS -nobody (choking) does it better.

You are now permitted to bring your laptops, tablets, electronic devices into the jails without prior approval.  Over the last week I went to a few of the jails with my iPad and laptop and the staff was aware of the new policy.

Since we have started to receive discovery electronically, reviewing documents with clients in custody has been an ordeal.  Initially we needed to fax paperwork to the jail for pre-approval of bringing electronics into the jail.

BACDL, in an effort to make life easier, has worked with BSO over the last few months to formulate a new policy allowing attorneys to enter the jails, without pre-approval, with electronics to view discovery and take notes.

There are some restrictions so please read the attached new BSO policy and the acknowledgement form.  The staff at the jail will provide the form.

Some of the prohibitions are: no phones, you and/or your client cannot use skype, social media, internet or make or receive calls.

...

For those of you interested this is the email I received from Lieutenant Jason Eisenstein:

Mr. Mankes,
Attached is the revised interview policy and new form associated with it. The policy and form will be live beginning tomorrow morning. We have sent this out to all DOD commands for all staff to be advised of the changes in our practice of permitting the devices mentioned in the policy into interview areas. This is a substantial change in operations for our staff in dealing with electronic devices. We appreciate patience as the personnel you represent enter our facilities during the course of the next few days.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Lieutenant Jason Eisenstein
Compliance Unit
Broward County Sheriff's Office

Rumpole notes: Miami-Dade corrections could not even agree for months and months to let attorneys see their clients. And Broward decides to let electronics in jail without moaning that it will somehow lead to tweets to ISIS to attack Hialeah, or in this case, Cooper City.

"When asked to elaborate Miami-Dade Corrections policy, a spokesman stated 'Lawyers may bring one  number 2 pencil, not too sharp, a separate hand held eraser (see memo dated 11, October, 1982 "the possession and use of additional erasers and jail policy")  and exactly four pages of 8x11 legal paper-white not yellow for obvious security reasons. Using both sides of the paper, attorneys can take the equivalent of eight pages of legal notes, which is much more than they- in our considered opinion- need.'
When asked whether Dade-County Corrections would ever allow an attorney to bring in an electronic device to discuss discovery served electronically, the spokesman collapsed in laughter, and gasped 'oh boy, that's a good one. Wait until I share that one with the guys at the 11:30 security meeting. You're too funny.' 

Update: we were contacted by a Miami-Dade corrections spokesman who stated that the jail was actively reviewing it's policy towards electronics and that, although this was off the record, we shouldn't be surprised if starting in the new year attorneys would be allowed to bring their beepers into the jail.