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The Greene County Courts have heard their first case that didn't include using a paper file. KSMU’s Jennifer Moore has details.
Judge Dan Conklin heard the case Thursday that signaled a new era in technology in the county courtrooms. Last year, the Greene County courts adopted a policy to have all documents of certain types of cases scanned and stored as electronic files for 2012.
Steve Helms is the Greene County Circuit Clerk.
“We’re going to be starting with circuit civil cases, traffic cases—which are basically just speeding, seat belts, those type of cases—and then ex-partes,” Helms said.
The courts will then move onto adding additional case types until all records are kept electronically.
Before now, a judge would usually have one monitor in front of him or her.
“But now they have a second monitor. And the second monitor helps them look at the electronic documents. So they have a case management system where the judge will click on the case number, and it will pull up either the docket sheet, or he can view simultaneously the files that are scanned within that case,” Helms said.
Helms said the electronic storage system will eventually make it easier for the public to see court records.
“As we move forward in the progress, anything that’s public should be available online for on your home computer. Right now, you need to come to our office, almost like it was before checking out a paper file—but we have two computer terminals where someone can look at the court documents,” Helms said.
The state’s is testing out a new process of filing lawsuits and other court proceedings electronically. The Missouri Supreme Court and St. Charles Circuit Court are the pilot courts on that e-filing project.
For KSMU News, I’m Jennifer Moore.
