North Carolina Court of Appeals

WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND INSTALL AUTOMATED SYSTEMS TO ENABLE JUDICIAL OFFICIALS TO CARRY OUR THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES: OUR MAGISTRATES' WARRANT SYSTEM HAS NOW BEEN INSTALLED IN 19 COUNTIES. THIS SYSTEM ENABLES THE MAGISTRATE TO COMPOSE A WARRANT ON A COMPUTER, PRINT IT OUT FOR THE OFFICER TO SERVE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ENTER RELEVANT DATA ABOUT THE CHARGES INTO THE OFFICIAL COURT RECORDS. THIS SYSTEM IS AN ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCK IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A STATEWIDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION NETWORK FOR ALL COURT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND IT INTO THE REST OF THE STATE DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. OUR COURT-FLOW SYSTEM FOR ENTERING JUDGMENTS IN CRIMINAL CASES IS NOW IN OPERATION IN ABOUT HALF OUR COUNTIES. THIS SYSTEM ALLOWS THE TRIAL COURT TO CALL UP A BLANK CRIMINAL JUDGMENT FORM ON A COMPUTER SCREEN, DOWNLOAD RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEFENDANT AND THE CHARGES FROM THE CASE FILE INTO THE JUDGMENT FORM, COMPLETE THE JUDGMENT, AND UPLOAD RELEVANT DISPOSITION INFORMATION INTO THE OFFICIAL COURT RECORDS. OUR BOND FORFEITURE SYSTEM IS ALSO IN USE IN ABOUT HALF OUR COUNTIES. THIS SYSTEM GREATLY FACILITATES THE PROCESSING OF CRIMINAL APPEARANCE BOND FORFEITURES IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND IN COURT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HIGHWAY PATROL, WE WILL BE PILOTING ELECTRONIC TRAFFIC CITATIONS IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER WILL CREATE THE CITATION ON A LAPTOP COMPUTER IN THE PATROL CAR, PRINT A COPY FOR THE DEFENDANT, AND TRANSMIT ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY TO THE COURT, WHERE IT WILL BE RETAINED IN ELECTRONIC FORM UNTIL HARD COPY IS NEEDED. WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A PILOT PROGRAM IN WAKE COUNTY THAT WILL ENABLE DEFENDANTS IN TRAFFIC CASES TO EFFECT WAIVERS AND PAY A FINE AND COSTS THROUGH A REMOTE-ACCESS, TELEPHONE-OPERATED SYSTEM THAT CHARGES THE REQUIRED AMOUNT TO THE DEFENDANT'S CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THE BAR, OUR AWARD-WINNING COURTS WEB PAGE IS CONSTANTLY BEING IMPROVED. ACCESS TO THE WEB PAGE IS AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE THROUGH THE INTERNET. THROUGH THE WEB PAGE THE USER CAN ACCESS SELECTED COURT DATA, CRIMINAL CALENDARS AND LOCAL RULES, AND MOST AOC FORMS. WE NOW LOOK TO THE FUTURE. CHIEF JUSTICE MITCHELL REPORTED LAST YEAR THAT LEGISLATION WAS PENDING TO ALLOW US TO BRING IN OUTSIDE EXPERTS TO ASSESS OUR INFORMATION RESOURCES AND DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN TO SERVE THE COURTS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. THAT HAS BEEN DONE. THE GARTNER GROUP, A NATIONALLY PROMINENT CONSULTING FIRM, HAS DEVELOPED A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR US. THIS PLAN CALLS FOR: SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADING THE TELEPHONE NETWORK THAT LINKS OUR 100 COUNTY COURTHOUSES TO EACH OTHER AND TO OUR MAINFRAME IN RALEIGH GREATLY IMPROVING OUR SOFTWARE AND PROGRAMS REPLACING EQUIPMENT CONTINUING TO UPDATE AND ENHANCE THE SYSTEMS THAT WILL FUNCTION AS PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION NETWORK, AND OBTAINING THE STAFF NECESSARY TO INSTALL, TRAIN AND SUPPORT ALL OUR SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY. OUR OVERRIDING BUDGET PRIORITY FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE NEXT BIENNIUM WILL BE TO OBTAIN THE FUNDING NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THIS STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN. AGAIN I ENLIST YOUR SUPPORT. YOU, YOUR CLIENTS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE CAN ONLY BENEFIT, AND THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE IN THE COURTS CAN ONLY IMPROVE, AS WE ACQUIRE THE TECHNOLOGY WE NEED TO CARRY OUT THE COURTS' MISSION IN THE 21 ST CENTURY. OBTAINING THIS FUNDING WILL NOT BE EASY. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED TO RETURN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THIS YEARS MONEY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR ASSISTANCE TO FLOOD VICTIMS. WE DO THIS WILLINGLY, IN THE HOPE THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION MAY HELP BRING EARLY RELIEF TO SUFFERING COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE. YET THE FLOOD HAS INCREASED THE COURTS NEEDS AS WELL. TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, AND TO OBTAIN THE FUNDING REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH OUR STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN, WILL TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT BY ALL OF US. I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.