Opinion No.

The Honorable Ron Fields Prosecuting Attorney 12th Judicial Circuit Sebastian County Courthouse Fort Smith, AR 72901

Dear Mr. Fields:

This is in response to your request for an opinion on several questions regarding a defendant's participation in certain criminal proceedings by way of an audiovisual hookup between a detention facility and the courthouse. In the situation you describe, the defendant would be in a "video room" at the detention facility, while the judge and the prosecutor would be in a "video room" at the courthouse. Defense counsel might be present at either location. A real…