If you're accused of a crime in Oakland County, Michigan, you can plead not guilty from the comfort of your holding cell. The county's new OakVideo system uses videoconferencing over a fiber optic network to connect district and circuit courts, the prosecutor's office, jail booking facilities, law enforcement agencies and community corrections. Up to four of these sites can participate in an arraignment - the legal proceeding where the accused answers an indictment.

Other pretrial events are also being conducted by videoconferencing. The prosecutor and police use videoconferencing to review evidence and prepare the warrant, and the judge signs the warrant after a video meeting with the police detective. In addition to videoconferencing, the OakView system creates case files with digital signatures.

Because prisoners don't have to be transported to and from court, the system saves time and money for police escorts, and the number of police on the streets is higher. Courts are more secure, too, when prisoners aren't being brought in and out.

The OakView system is now being marketed to other counties by Justice Digital Solutions.