The federal Judiciary has a proven track record of successfully exploring and employing technology to enhance public access to court information, a representative of the Judicial Conference of the United States told a Senate committee today.
"In addition to the traditional methods of publishing information and making paper documents available, the Judiciary has been making use of appropriate technologies that expand access further. The Judiciary has made this responsibility a priority in planning," said Judge Royce C. Lamberth (D. D.C.). Judge Lamberth, a member of the Committee on Automation and Technology of the Judicial Conference of the United States, testified today before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, which is studying public access to government information in the 21st century.
The success of the Judiciary's programs for access to information is demonstrated by the fact that there are more than 30,000 registered users of the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, said Judge Lamberth. This electronic bulletin board system, which provides case and docket information, will handle more than 3 million requests for information in fiscal year 1996. Court automated voice response systems will respond to more than 4 million calls this year. The Judiciary's Internet site (www.uscourts.gov ) provides access to a variety of Judiciary publications and general court information, registering more than 10,000 hits a month. In addition, all federal appellate court slip opinions are being collected by a consortium of law schools and provided free of charge to the public through each school's Internet web site. (For additional information see the summary of existing electronic assess programs in the federal Judiciary.)
"These public access programs meet the needs of the Judiciary's customers, from those who may only be able to come into the office, or call on the telephone, to those corporate entities which access on-line databases to gain information without diverting court staff's time from other service responsibilities," Judge Lamberth said in his testimony.
In addition, the courts constantly are testing new technology in an attempt to better manage the constant growth in caseloads. One successful prototype is in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, where the court has been able to handle massive maritime asbestos cases by using the Internet to make filing and accessing information easier for all parties involved.
As the Judiciary tests new technologies, it must balance a concern for accuracy and security with an interest in wide accessibility, Judge Lamberth said. While these complex issues are just beginning to be examined by the Judiciary, plans are being made for a future that will include the inevitable expansion in the use of electronic information.
"The new initiatives currently examined, combined with the Judiciary's strong management focus on information technology improvements, signal that the Judiciary's past successes will continue," said Judge Lamberth. "The Judiciary is committed not only to making old processes work better, but also to creating new ways of working that are more productive, efficient, and effective. These improvements will enable the Judiciary to deliver to the public better service at a lower cost," Judge Lamberth said.
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