How Smart Can We Make the Documents?

I have written about this before, but lately, after working with several case management systems I have become more and more convinced that court technologists are still missing the point that the data is in the document. Almost everything that a court does either involves receiving a document or producing a document. The smarter that we make documents, by "tagging" the information via templates and forms, the less data entry is needed because either the document becomes the database or the data is automatically parsed and entered into the court's database.

On the input side, courts have done an excellent job of posting their forms in editable formats and PDF. But very few have "connected the dots" by using these forms as data sources in their E-filing projects. I find that it is particularly interesting that progress in this area is being made in the integrated justice projects with GJXDM technology rather than in civil case E-filing. For example, at CTC8, Orange County, Florida Integrated Justice System project showed their automated criminal complaint systems and at the upcoming E-Courts Conference this December, the Maricopa County, Arizona Integrated Justice System will be showing their electronic warrant system.

Further, most court automation seem to still treat court generated documents as reports or as separate standalone systems. When a court creates a document using word processing software, it should not simply be printed on paper. It should also be stored electronically and linked to the case management system. There are many ways that this can be done and I'll write about a few of them next week.

Philadelphia Courtroom Website

For those of you looking for ideas about how to present the capabilities of your own "Hi-Tech" Courtroom, you might want to check out the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania First Judicial District website on Courtroom 625.

Orange County, California Allows Jurors to Request Delay Online

In the NCSC's Jur-E Bulletin, July Edition the editors note that the Orange County, California Superior Court has an excellent Jury Services website. They also had a link to an article in the Orange County (CA) Register newspaper about the site.

A Lawyer's View of Appellate Technology

Mr. Howard Bashman of Law.com shares his experiences on video and teleconferencing in his article, Commentary: Predicting Technology's Impact on Appellate Oral Argument. He also muses about the use of collaboration software in Appellate Court proceedings.

PC Posture

eWeek Magazine has posted an interesting article about computer user ergonomics titled "The Perils of PC Posture"

Federal Courts E-Government Act Compliance

In an article in the US Federal Court's newsletter, "The Third Branch", they reported that the judiciaries compliance with the "E-Government Act of 2002" was nearly total. The article explains that the US Congress passed the E-Government Act in order to improve customer service to citizens via the Internet. The article further notes that nearly 200 Federal Courts have their own websites, and that many are not only in compliance but exceed the type and amount of information required.

Electronic Case Filing Program Kicks Off At Orange County Clerk's Office

Thanks to Leesa Bainbridge of the Orange County, Florida Clerk of Circuit Court office for the following article.

Orange County Clerk of Courts Lydia Gardner is pleased to announce that Ed Foster of Akerman, Senterfitt and Edison became the first attorney to electronically file a case under our new Electronic Case Filing system.

The Complex Business Litigation case was filed April 5, 2006, in the Civil Division under the direction of Program Manager Carolyn Weber.

"We are thrilled to get our first case just 14 months after we began laying the groundwork for the project", Gardner said. "E-commerce is the future and we plan to stay on the cutting edge of that universe."

Gardner also praised the leadership of Weber, whose experience developing an Electronic Case Filing system in the federal courts was invaluable as she began creating the program for the Orange County Clerk of Courts.

Electronic Case Filing - or ECF - is one of the most significant innovations ever implemented at the Clerk's Office. The E-filing plan was approved by the Supreme Court for Complex Business Litigation in February 2005. As required by the Supreme Court, our operation begins with a pilot program involving a limited number of law firms. In time, that program will expand significantly.

The Orange County Clerk of Courts is the first among large counties to begin rolling out an ECF program.

ECF allows attorneys to electronically file new cases and subsequent pleadings 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere they have Internet access. It allows for 24-hour access to those files, which are secured by a password. It means faster document retrieval, savings on courier and postage fees, fewer visits to the Clerk's Office and reduced use of paper. Attorneys are alerted to any case activity through automatic emails.

There are 50 attorneys registered in ECF with 157 documents electronically filed. We have two pro se tenant eviction cases as part of our pilot phase. The advantages to attorneys, clients and Orange County will only expand as the program grows.

The Promise and Challenges of Jury System Technology

The 2003 book "The Promise and Challenges of Jury System Technology" by Tom Munsterman and Paula Hannaford-Agor is now available online from the National Center for State Courts website. This publication supported by a grant from the State Justice Institute explores issues such as the policy implication of jury management technologies, usage of source lists, qualification and summoning, and service and post-service technologies.

Maricopa County (Phoenix, Arizona) Sends News

Thanks to Katherine Johnson of the Maricopa County Integrated Justice System project in Phoenix, Arizona for sending along their most recent newsletter. Highlights from the newsletter are:

Electronic Filing of Criminal Case Data - Criminal case filing data is being passed electronically from the County Attorney's Office to the Clerk of the Superior Court eliminating the manual data entry and the potential for data entry errors. Once accepted by the Superior Court, copies of the criminal case data are available for other justice agencies to receive. The Public Defender will be the first additional agency to receive this electronic data before the end of this fiscal year.

Electronic Filing of Subsequent Criminal Case Documents - Subsequent criminal case documents such as motions are being transmitted electronically from the County Attorney's Office to the Clerk of the Superior Court and are distributed to the correct parties via the Clerk of Court's eService system.

JWI (Justice Web Interface) - MCAO, Adult Probation - The cutover for Justice Web Interface (JWI), which replaced the Department of Public Safety (DPS) system access, to the County Attorney's Office (MCAO) and Adult Probation (APD) was completed in October 2005.

Form IV A - Initial Appearance - In addition to a regular Form IV, a Form IV-A has to be completed when an arrestee is arrested on a warrant from another jurisdiction. The form has a check box to indicate whether the arrest is a Fugitive of Justice arrest, as well as a section for the arresting officer to describe how the individual was identified as the subject of the warrant. Both the Form IV and the Form IV A would be completed and sent to IA and MCAO.

Increasing Public Access to Court Rules - Moving from Good to Great

Submitted by Cari Gerchick, Esq., Communications Director, Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts

Submitting changes or comments to Arizona's court rules, which apply in all state courts, has just gotten easier. The Arizona Supreme Court now accepts electronic filing of rule petitions and rule comments at the "Rules EForum." The Rules E-Forum is a website created by the Arizona Supreme Court that allows the public to monitor all pending rules petitions and comments.

"Allowing electronic filing of rule petitions and rule comments saves time and money for members of the legal and non-legal communities who wish to be a part of the rule change process," said Chief Justice Ruth V. McGregor. 

"We're excited about our ability to offer easier access for all interested parties, in another step to move our courts from good to great."

To submit, comment on, or view a rule change petition, please visit www.supreme.state.az.us/rules/ and register.

The public may still submit rule change petitions and comments in the traditional, paper method with the Clerk of the Supreme Court located at 1501 West Washington, Fourth Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. For instructions, please visit: www.supreme.state.az.us/clerk. These documents will appear on the electronic
forum.

For more information about the Arizona Supreme Court's Rules E-Forum, visit: www.supreme.state.az.us/rules/ and click on Frequently Asked Questions.