Court Leaders Say New Statewide Court Computer
System Will Bring Improvements to Citizens;
Marion County to Pilot New System

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr. and Judge Cynthia J. Ayers, Presiding Judge of the Marion County Superior Court, announced a key step in the development of technology that will make vital courthouse information more accessible to the public and useful to government agencies today.

"The Indiana judiciary, in partnership with state and county government leaders, began work today on a new statewide court computer project that dramatically will improve service to Indiana citizens and assist our law enforcement officers in their work. I consider this to be the most important improvement in Indiana courts in over 30 years," Chief Justice Shepard said.

Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA), a major international computer software firm, will design and install a statewide computerized "case management system" that will keep track of all developments in all cases pending in Indiana courts and make that information readily available to anyone who needs court information. Shepard estimates that the design of the system will take about one year and statewide installation an additional two years.

"I am very excited that Marion County will be a pilot county for the new system," Judge Ayers said. "The timing couldn't be better. Our existing case management system has reached the end of its useful life. The new system will enable us to implement the recommendations of the comprehensive review of court operating procedures, now under way."

The new court computer system will bring "21st century technology to our courts and put that same technology in the hands of citizens, law enforcement officers, and others who need and use court information," said Justice Sullivan, who chairs the Supreme Court's Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC), which is leading the project. For example:

• Citizens and lawyers will be able to check the status of their cases over the Internet.
• Courts will be able to transmit electronically orders suspending (or reinstating) driver's licenses to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
• The state will be able to have an accurate electronic registry of all domestic violence protective orders issued by Indiana courts.
• A judge facing a criminal defendant will be able to determine immediately whether additional charges are pending anywhere else in Indiana.
• Judges, clerks, prosecutors, lawyers, and their staffs will be able to process electronically countless transactions now performed by hand.

Justice Sullivan also expressed enthusiasm at the lead role to be played by Marion County courts. "Our state's largest county generates about one-fifth of the workload of all Indiana courts. With our largest and busiest court system up and running first, we will have a flying start toward our goal of a statewide case management system," he said.

The Supreme Court selected Computer Associates in May following a lengthy competitive procurement process that began last year. As part of its contract, CA will customize its existing court case management computer program to meet Indiana requirements and needs and then assist JTAC staff in implementing the system in all Indiana courts. The company will also develop specialized computer programs called "interfaces" to connect the case management system with key state agencies that need and use court information such as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the State Police, and the Department of Correction. Other computer programs developed by CA and used by business and governments throughout the world to help run large computer networks are also included.

"CA is extremely gratified to have been selected for this ground-breaking project," said Bob Dinkel, Senior Vice President, CA Services, which will assist the state on the project. "We look forward to working closely with the state's judiciary system to design and implement a system that will leverage today's advanced information technologies to ensure that the citizens of Indiana have a court system that is both highly effective in administering justice and highly cost-efficient in its operations."

The Supreme Court will pay CA about $2.3 million per year for three years for its work. Funding for the project comes from an increase in court-filing fees authorized by the Legislature, grants from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, and other sources.

Chief Justice Shepard thanked State and local leaders, including Gov. O'Bannon and members of the Legislature, for enacting legislation this year to fund the project. Shepard also offered his special appreciation to State Sen. J. Murray Clark (R-Indianapolis), author of the legislation; Justice Sullivan and the JTAC committee; the leaders of Indianapolis and Marion County government for their partnership with JTAC, particularly Judge Ayers, Marion County Clerk Sarah Taylor; Marion County Prosecutor Scott Newman; and Indianapolis-Marion County Councilor William Dowden, chairman of the City-County Council Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee, as well as "the countless number of judges, county clerks, court and clerk staff members, and state and local information technology personnel who have worked so hard in the preliminary phases of this project.

"There is still much to do before our vision of a statewide 21st century case management system becomes a reality. But thanks to the hard work of a great many people here in Marion County and throughout the state, we are well under way," Chief Justice Shepard said.

A webcast of the announcement of the project may be viewed after 10:30am on Wednesday, July 24 at: www.IN.gov/judiciary/webcast.html