Free Elmo - Pennsylvania

United States District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania

ELMO Evidence Presentation
A System Guide for Attorneys Practicing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Revised 8/2000

What is ELMO?
ELMO is the brand name of an electronic document camera that is the heart of the Electronic Courtroom Visual Evidence Presentation System in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. ELMO works like an overhead/opaque projector, instantly transmitting the image of documents, x-rays or physical evidence on up to eight television monitors strategically placed throughout the courtroom. Unlike a simple overhead projector designed for theater or classroom settings, the modern ELMO configuration permits the trial judge, witnesses, jurors and counsel to comfortably view a single piece of evidence from a multitude of vantage points.

The ELMO document camera

The unit itself is very easy to operate. Buttons on ELMO's console let you zoom in and out, focus on and adjust the lighting on a piece of evidence. The touch of a button permits you to present evidence exactly as it is intended to be viewed, highlighting specific areas of an object and de-emphasizing others. ELMO's versatility allows the high-resolution display of both documentary and physical evidence. Virtually any two or three-dimensional object that would require magnification can be placed on ELMO for courtroom viewing. In addition, a VCR attached to the system enables lawyers to present a single video tape on up to eight television monitors at one time.

Where is ELMO?
The system is entirely mobile, and available in the Scranton, Harrisburg and Williamsport courthouses. The ELMO document camera, the VCR, and the television monitors are stored on carts which can be transported from courtroom to courtroom with ease. To arrange for use of the system during trial, please contact the Clerk's Office in the appropriate divisional office:
Scranton: 570-207-5600 Harrisburg: 717-221-3920 Williamsport: 570-323-6380

For scheduling purposes, please notify the Clerk's Office of your desire to use ELMO well in advance of your trial date.

Using ELMO
The ELMO unit is very easy to operate. When the unit is turned on, objects placed on the glass screen will be transmitted instantly to the monitors in the courtroom. One element with which you should familiarize yourself, is the control panel on the front of the ELMO console. The controls, shown here, manage all of ELMO's functions, including the On/Off switch, Zoom, and Focus control. The following pages describe what each of the console buttons do.

The ELMO control panel - it's very easy to operate.

Controlling the Lighting and Inputs
Lighting There are two buttons in the LAMP section, labeled Upper and Base, that allow you to control how the evidence is lit while on the ELMO unit. The Upper button controls the two overhead lights, while the Base lighting allows the image to be lit from underneath, like a photographer's light box. Base lighting works better for transparencies (such slides or X-rays), while Upper lighting is usually best for documents and three dimensional objects. Simply press the On/Off button for the type of lighting you want to use for a particular piece of evidence.

Input The ELMO configuration allows you to use the ELMO projector as an input or a standard VCR as an input. To display evidence using the ELMO, press the button labeled INTERNAL Internal always refers to the ELMO unit. INTERNAL. To change the input device so you can play a VHS tape through the ELMO system, press the AV1 button. The AV1 button allows you to transmit the VCR taped image directly to the television monitors. The VCR itself must be connected to the ELMO unit, and operated independently with the VCR remote control. Summary: Control Summar y: INTERNAL: Displays evidence on the ELMO glass INTERNAL V1: Displays evidence from a VCR AV1 V2: Not currently used AV2

Controlling the Image and Zoom
The ELMO gives you several options for fine-tuning the evidence display. These options are at the center of the control panel, as shown on the next page.

Posi/Nega The POSI/NEGA button allows the image being displayed to toggle between a normal, positive view, and a negative view, much like a photographic negative. When the light above the P is lit, the image is being shown in positive mode. When the light above the N is lit, the negative of the image is being displayed. The Negative option is useful for displaying X-RAYS and similar evidence. Color/B&W The Color/B&W button allows an image to be displayed in full color (default) or black and white. Setting the ELMO to display only black and white may will allow certain drawings and black & white photos to be displayed more clearly. To change the display from one mode to the other, simply press the button labeled Color/B&W When the Color/B&W. light above the C is lit, the image is being shown in full color. When the light above the B&W is lit, the evidence is being displayed in black and white.

Zoom
To zoom in on an object/document placed on the ELMO console, press the button labeled TELE (for Telephoto). To zoom out, press the button labeled WIDE WIDE.

Controlling the Camera's Focus
The ELMO gives you two options for controlling the camera's focus on the materials you are displaying: Manual and Automatic. These controls are located at the far right of the ELMO's control panel.

AUTO, The FOCUS controls allow you to adjust the camera lens. The machine's default setting is AUTO which is usually appropriate for most evidence. If the camera has difficulty focusing on a small object, however, you may use the N (for Near) button underneath the MANU label to fine-tune the focus. Likewise, if a larger object appears blurred while using the AUTO setting, use the F (for Far) button to correct the focus. You can return to automatic focusing at any time by pressing the Auto button.

ELMO CONSOLE QUICK REFERENCE SHEET

Console Section Lamp Input

Button Upper Base Internal AV1 AV2 P N C B&W Tele Wide Manu - N Manu - F AUTO

Description Lights the evidence from above Lights evidence from underneath (for transparencies) Displays evidence from ELMO to the monitors Displays tape from the VCR to the monitors Not currently used Displays evidence in normal, positive mode Displays a negative image of the evidence (useful for X-RAYS) Displays evidence in full color Displays evidence in black & white only Zooms in on document/evidence Zooms out on document/evidence Manual focusing: nearer for smaller objects Manual focusing: farther for larger objects Lets ELMO automatically determine the focus

Posi/Nega Color/B&W Zoom Focus