Remote Court Hearings (Past, Present, and Future): Arizona’s Next Steps for a New World to Enhance Access to Justice

In this article, the Arizona Supreme Court COVID-19 Continuity of Court Operations During a Public Health Emergency Workgroup (“Plan B Workgroup”) provides an update from its prior efforts, building on the Post-pandemic Recommendations: COVID-19 Continuity of Court Operations During a Public Health Emergency Workgroup, 75 SMU LAW REVIEW FORUM 1 (2022). This article focuses on the Plan B Workgroup’s February 2022 Recommended Remote and In-Person Hearings in the Arizona State Courts in the Post-Pandemic World and developments after those Recommendations. The article highlights the consideration and adoption of the Recommendations by the Arizona Judicial Council and the Arizona Supreme Court, as well as adaption, adoption, and implementation by Arizona’s trial courts. It then analyzes various surveys regarding remote hearings in 2023 in Arizona, both of members of the State Bar of Arizona and Arizona’s state courts. The article then describes potential next steps for remote court proceedings, including accounting for the fast-changing world of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential for enhancing access to justice.