US Federal Judiciary Cites Technology for Efficiency

US Federal Courthouse in Denver

In a press release on July 6, 2016 the US Federal Courts cited multiple court technology initiatives as part of their overall efficiency and cost reduction strategy.

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On June 26, 2016 Director of the Administrative Office of the US Courts, James Duff testified “before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, about ‘the Judicial Branch and the Efficient Administration of Justice.’”

“In his testimony, Duff noted that federal court caseloads have increased nearly four-fold in the last 50 years, while judgeships only doubled. “The fact that our judges and courts are meeting many of the challenges of increasing caseloads is a testament to the efficiencies in our court system,” Duff said.

Duff cited several initiatives to deliver justice efficiently and cost effectively, while also enhancing public access.

• Effective case management, including the use of visiting judges, helps courts with heavy caseloads, while magistrate judges and senior judges help manage caseloads in all courts.
• Shared Administrative Services and work measurement analyses have reduced total court staffing requirements by nearly 3,900 full-time equivalent positions since 2011.
• Refined budget formulations, and an aggressive auditing program and other fiscal controls, have led to savings.
• Court space reduction by 3 percent by the end of fiscal year 2018.
• Information technology improvements, including centralized hosting services and a national videoconferencing service, have reduced individual court costs.
• Electronic case filing and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) have made court documents readily available to the public, while the Government Printing Office provides free access to court opinions.
• EJuror provides electronic registration for jurors, while Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing, has reduced notification costs.

The full press release can be viewed at:  http://www.uscourts.gov/news/2016/07/06/judiciary-embraces-efficiency-house-told

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Photo from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Tenth_Circuit