So what’s the big deal about having a monitor display a
docket outside of a courtroom or in the lobby? The 54B District Court was invited to
participate in a JIS pilot of its electronic docket display in December 2016
and we piloted the docket display for two months to determine whether to implement
its use as part of our daily operations.
We were fortunate to have existing equipment and a public Wi-Fi
connection, which helped us obtain feedback from unrepresented parties,
attorneys, judges, and staff.
There is a logical argument for the implementation of
technology in many cases. It can help
with streamlining a process, replacing retiring staff, or even keeping up with
expectations of the communities we serve.
Here is what we learned:
- · You won’t need a magnifying glass or to stand in a cramped space. Prior to the electronic docket display our staff printed a daily docket and posted it inside a glass case. Not only was the font size small, but it limited the number of people who could view the posted piece of paper at one time.
- · It reduces the need to repeat certain instructions. How many times are your clerks repeating instructions? A clerk may still need to review an advice of rights form, but the user will know that arraignments occur in our court at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. thanks to the presentation software available through RiseVision used in conjunction with the electronic docket display. We expanded the use of our docket display to provide general notice of arraignment times and instructions for those appearing for pretrial conferences and night court. We recently added notices informing the public of our weapons policy and how to request an ADA accommodation.
Feedback has been mostly positive. Any criticism was primarily directed toward the
stability of our public Wi-Fi access, which is very important.
Our hope is to reduce the amount of time someone spends in a
line to ask basic questions. From there,
staff can focus on more complex interactions, thus reducing burnout. The contemporary look of the monitor, which
resembles an “airplane terminal”, may encourage self-help before seeking
assistance from staff.
When she is not
investigating the efficiency of new technologies, Nicole Evans is court
administrator for 54B District Court in East Lansing, Michigan. Prior to her promotion, she served in several
capacities including deputy court administrator, city clerk for the city of
East Lansing, and chief probation officer for 54B District Court. Nicole is a member of the Equal Access to
Justice Initiative Committee and the Disabilities Workgroup through the State
Bar of Michigan. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration and a Juris Doctor.