Court launches new website
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Highland County Common Pleas Court has launched its website this week, and Tuesday, Judge Rocky Coss gave a demonstration for courthouse personnel and county offices that will be regularly using the site.
"It's going to help the people who are already working in the clerk's office and in the court, and I think in some of the other agencies, to help get information more quickly and avoid delays," Coss said. "It will certainly help in the clerk's office, and our staff, handle the caseload more efficiently.
The website has information about the history of the Highland County Courthouse - the oldest courthouse in the state of Ohio in continuous use - as well the local court rules, information on jury service, domestic relations and court contact information. There is also a court calendar, and a link that allows remote access to portions of case file.
Coss said that launching a court website was among his primary goals when he took office, which also included "getting the budget in a sound fiscal position, and getting the court docket caught up."
The project was funded through the court's special projects fund.
Coss had previously said that because the public will be able to view court information themselves, court personnel will have to spend less time answering questions, which will free them up for other tasks, which results in savings. "We're trying to be more efficient in getting information for the public. We're working with reduced staff, and that makes it more difficult for people to get the answers to their questions. Often, we'll have to say that is not available right now,' or that we don't have that information yet. It's going to be a really good tool."
The website and online features are being funded through the court's special projects fund, which is funded through fees for filing court cases, so it will not draw money away from the county's general fund. Special projects also supports the court's mediation program.
While there are thousands of dollars that will go into the new projects, Coss said that the new technologies will free up court staff for other tasks, and that the court has worked toward economical implementation.
In December, the county signed a contract with Greystone Systems, which handles all of the county's IT support.
"The website is $10,800, and that is for the design and other construction and other associated fees," Coss said. "Then, there is the eAccess part of the project. We had to buy the Court View license, and that cost approximately $12,600, which was at a 25-percent discount from the normal $17,500, and there is an annual fee of $3,762 for maintenance and so forth. We had to add one server in order for this to work. Court View, which has the contract for all the court records, downloads all the information from the clerk's office, and puts in filters in the programming and tells the server what to make available to the public. It's then going to a second server that the public will access, so it cuts down on the possibility of someone hacking into the system through this access."
The court would have had to pay in excess of $25,000 for the server, along with a monthly fee of $520, but they have opted to lease the equipment for $785 a month. Coss said that seemed like the more economical option, and because the county does not own the equipment outright it will allow for easier replacement when it becomes outdated."
The Supreme Court of Ohio, according to Coss, is putting together a task force to examine the possibility of implementing a statewide court network.
The Highland County Common Pleas Court has launched its website this week, and Tuesday, Judge Rocky Coss gave a demonstration for courthouse personnel and county offices that will be regularly using the site.
The site, www.commonpleas.co.highland.oh.us, was officially launched for public use Tuesday.
"It's going to help the people who are already working in the clerk's office and in the court, and I think in some of the other agencies, to help get information more quickly and avoid delays," Coss said. "It will certainly help in the clerk's office, and our staff, handle the caseload more efficiently.
The website has information about the history of the Highland County Courthouse - the oldest courthouse in the state of Ohio in continuous use - as well the local court rules, information on jury service, domestic relations and court contact information. There is also a court calendar, and a link that allows remote access to portions of case file.
Coss said that launching a court website was among his primary goals when he took office, which also included "getting the budget in a sound fiscal position, and getting the court docket caught up."
The project was funded through the court's special projects fund.
Coss had previously said that because the public will be able to view court information themselves, court personnel will have to spend less time answering questions, which will free them up for other tasks, which results in savings. "We're trying to be more efficient in getting information for the public. We're working with reduced staff, and that makes it more difficult for people to get the answers to their questions. Often, we'll have to say that is not available right now,' or that we don't have that information yet. It's going to be a really good tool."
The website and online features are being funded through the court's special projects fund, which is funded through fees for filing court cases, so it will not draw money away from the county's general fund. Special projects also supports the court's mediation program.
While there are thousands of dollars that will go into the new projects, Coss said that the new technologies will free up court staff for other tasks, and that the court has worked toward economical implementation.
In December, the county signed a contract with Greystone Systems, which handles all of the county's IT support.
"The website is $10,800, and that is for the design and other construction and other associated fees," Coss said. "Then, there is the eAccess part of the project. We had to buy the Court View license, and that cost approximately $12,600, which was at a 25-percent discount from the normal $17,500, and there is an annual fee of $3,762 for maintenance and so forth. We had to add one server in order for this to work. Court View, which has the contract for all the court records, downloads all the information from the clerk's office, and puts in filters in the programming and tells the server what to make available to the public. It's then going to a second server that the public will access, so it cuts down on the possibility of someone hacking into the system through this access."
The court would have had to pay in excess of $25,000 for the server, along with a monthly fee of $520, but they have opted to lease the equipment for $785 a month. Coss said that seemed like the more economical option, and because the county does not own the equipment outright it will allow for easier replacement when it becomes outdated."
The Supreme Court of Ohio, according to Coss, is putting together a task force to examine the possibility of implementing a statewide court network.
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