Plans are under way to roll out a new $30 million case management system for the state’s courts, moving away from paper-based to electronic processes and joining up all district and appeals courts under the same system.
Currently, 13 counties in the state, including Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, use one case management system; 64 other counties use another. Officials say the state has outgrown the old systems. Officials hope to have the system complete and all state trial courts online within the next five years. Often, data retrieved from the courts is used to make policy decisions by lawmakers. it also is sent to law enforcement; including state and federal agencies that use the data to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from buying guns and for background checks. “I will be able to look at court records without getting out of my chair,” said Mike Evans, administrative director of the courts. “Our prime focus is a unified system across all 77 counties.” an integrated system will give the public remote access to electronic case files and court documents. Attorneys and legal representatives will be able to file documents electronically, and judges will have the ability to manage their dockets and assess cases within the system. Scheduling cases also will be a part of its function. it also will give judges and court clerks more efficient tools to manage and track cases, and a simpler way of collecting and dispersing fees it takes in for other agencies, Evans said. Clerks are responsible for collecting fees that help fund more than 30 state agencies. Fines and fees will be payable online and delinquent accounts tracked more easily for collections purposes. More openness an overarching goal of this is to keep the courts accountable to the public, said state Supreme Court Justice James Winchester. Winchester was chief justice four years ago when talks about a new statewide system began. He said this system will make Oklahoma a model for other states to follow. In 2007, fees increased on most civil and criminal court filings from $10 to $25 to pay for the cost of the new system. Winchester said it will cost about $28 million to implement. While the transition is made, the other two systems will remain accessible. “Of my 25 years on the bench, this will be the most significant project and contribution in my career,” Winchester said. The most significant contribution, he said, is the public will have more access, not just judges and attorneys. The new system will help the state Supreme Court and court managers use resources better by accurately reporting caseloads and docket information, Winchester said. If one district is overloaded with cases and another isn’t, it will allow court managers to see that and put judges where they’re needed. Winchester said the system also will help businesses. “Business relies heavily on these records; this will help Main Street businesses who’ve helped pay for this system to do their job better,” he said. Virginia-based American Cadastre was awarded the contract in November. they are constructing the system based on input and decisions made by judges, court clerks and staff that use existing systems. Paperless system The ultimate goal will be for courts to shift to a paperless system. At the Oklahoma County courthouse, paper files and records fill entire rooms. At an off-site storage unit for records, there are stacks of boxes containing files dating back to statehood. “We take in an enormous amount of paper on a daily basis,” said Oklahoma County Court Clerk Patricia Presley. “This new system will enable us to serve people better and will probably lower the traffic going in and out of courthouses.” Tulsa County Court Clerk Sally Howe Smith said going paperless will save money not only on storage, but on man hours because there will be less duplication of efforts. she said often paper documents filed must be retyped into the current system. Documents also have to be scanned. Instead of storing physical records in buildings, they’ll be stored virtually on servers. “This will help us transfer data more seamlessly,” she said. “It will save us wages and postage. We’ll no longer be sending boxes of case information to appeals court judges.” Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties will start using the system after four pilot counties go live in about two years. The system will roll out statewide in about five years. Not just for tracking criminals Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Judge Jane Wiseman said the benefits of an integrated system reach further than criminals going in and out of courtrooms. “If people think the justice system doesn’t touch them, they’re not informed,” she said. Marriages, adoptions and divorces go through the courts. Small claims matters, including landlord and tenant issues do as well. Some traffic tickets also are paid at county courthouses. Wiseman said in the case of appeals court judges, often delays in moving cases and documents are a holdup. she hopes the new system will speed up justice. “They say justice delayed is justice denied,” she said. “People rightfully complain how long a case can take.” Judge John Fischer, also of the state Civil Appeals Court, said busy judges will be able to keep better track of the disposition of cases, pending actions and caseloads. “You’ll be able to view any aspect of the record immediately,” he said. “When deadlines approach for certain filings, judges and attorneys can be notified electronically.” News Photo Galleriesview all
<a href="http://newsok.com/state-to-unify-court-record-systems/article/3561825tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://newsok.com/state-to-unify-court-record-systems/article/3561825Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:03:31 GMT 00:00″>Oklahoma has plans to update, unify court record system