The network, set up inside a new 17-story courthouse, also allowed a child to testify in an assault case, separate from spectators, via video. Arraignment hearings for those accused of crimes can also be handled remotely, court officials said.

The Wi-Fi-equipped Regional Justice Center, which opened last October and serves several thousand people daily, has cameras in every courtroom. Within six months, it will be equipped with an US$11 million digital case management system to allow easy access to case materials and video clips of testimony for attorneys, judges and court clerks, Short said. Portions of the case materials will be accessible to the public after a trial has ended.

Clark County CIO Rod Massey said the various user groups and agencies that had previously been using separate networks are now unified on a common platform. Security tools, including virtual private networks, keep the various channels separated. "Unifying communications over one network infrastructure enhances efficiency and services for our taxpayers," Massey said.

He said the county government can't afford to hire enough staff to keep up with the Las Vegas area's annual growth, which puts an emphasis on labor-saving technology.

For example, an interactive voice response system can be used by the public to pay for traffic tickets via phone, which has reduced the average waiting time in line from 4.5 hours to 1.5 hours, he said. That system has helped free up some personnel for other jobs, he said.