Precedents and the Start of a Solution

I was able to find some interesting studies and articles concerning human social behavior (distance relationships and sight lines specifically). I have used these resources to create a series of diagrams which will help me arrange the courtroom in a purely circular fashion. Here they are:

 This first diagram is on social behavior within certain distances, this helped me decided what parties in the courtroom should be closer than others.

This diagram represents those distance relationships around the circle

This diagram represents each parties "Isovist" or their field of vision. The human eye has a total visual field of 150 degrees with comfortable "optimum" vision occurring within a 60 degree view! Basically I wanted to make sure everyone could see everyone without even turning the head (this will help in the acoustics!!!)

This is a sub-diagram of the one above, it shows a crucial comparison between the attorney tables and the jury. In a traditional courtroom layout many attorneys favor the tables closet to the Jury...it has been proven that it can have influence (sometimes significant) on the jury's decision. My arrangement has eliminated this bias since in any direction, both attorney areas are equidistant to the jury! 


I also found precedent for the use of a circular layout in a justice setting! Native Americans have a form of "Traditional Dispute Resolution" in which restorative justice is accomplished through the use of peacemaking circles. The article stresses the differences in the American Judicial System and this traditional system as the following:

"The differences between Native American and mainstream Western justice and concept of law can be explained in terms of the concepts of "horizontal" and "vertical" justice. Under this framework, the adversarial system of mainstream American justice can be classified as a vertical system. In a vertical system, the legal structure is situated upon ascending levels of hierarchies and power. Judges in an adversarial system have the power to determine the outcome of conflict, a decision that results in a win-loss situation for the parties. The parties to a dispute or criminal action, based on their low position on the hierarchical structure, do not have any significant power in determining the outcome of the dispute...The existing retributive criminal justice seeks to answer the following questions: (1) "What laws have been broken?"; (2) "Who did it?"; and (3) "What do they deserve? A restorative justice approach, on the other hand, asks: (1) "Who has been hurt?"; (2) "What are their needs?"; and (3) "Whose obligations are these?""

The great thing about this system is Native American Tribes are still practicing these behaviors today on through their system of law. While it is not an exact translation, it does prove that such a move in our system could work!  

So I have a viable layout for arrangement in a circle, I have proof that a similar system is in place and works. Next, it's time to plan out the courtroom based on these diagrams...then things will really get difficult, it'll be time to test the acoustics of these arrangements!