PRESS RELEASE

Edwardsville, Illinois, April 6, 2009 ----- Beginning today, attorneys practicing in Madison County can file Law and asbestos cases over the internet at the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s office.  Soon arbitration cases will also be eligible for the e-filing pilot project. The Illinois Supreme Court, who sets electronic filing policy for state courts, approved the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s office and the Third Judicial Circuit Court for a pilot project late last year.   

Electronic filing (e-filing) projects like Madison County’s are taking place in only two other Illinois courts, both of which are in the Chicago area.   

With e-filing, law cases can be filed from an attorney’s office computer, without a trip to the courthouse or the time and expense of printing and mailing.  Within minutes of a case being e-filed, judges, court clerks, attorneys and the public can view an image of the filing at the courthouse and through online subscriptions. 

In an e-filing environment, an electronic image of a court file is sent over the internet to the clerk.  Once the clerk reviews the document, with a few clicks of the mouse, it is downloaded to the clerk’s automated case-management system through secure protocol.    

In addition to the cost-savings to attorneys, efficiencies created by e-filing  relieve clerks from imaging paper and making docket entries on case filings.  “E-filing creates the image for this office, saving scanning time for clerks and leading to a significant time-savings in case processing,” according to Circuit Clerk Matt Melucci.  Computer entries are made by the person filing the case.   

Melucci and Chief Judge Ann Callis submitted Madison County’s latest application for e-filing to the Supreme Court over a year ago. “My office supported this effort because e-filing makes the court and its records more accessible to attorneys and the public,” Callis said. 

The county received Illinois Supreme Court approval for the pilot program in early November.  Only civil law cases over $50,000 are eligible for e-filing now, but arbitration cases should be added soon.  

A major consideration for the county to seek e-filing authority is its asbestos caseload.  A single asbestos case can take four feet of shelf space.  Managing and working with the paper file is cumbersome.  Asbestos Judge Dan Stack implemented electronic service by parties to these cases some time ago.  “E-filing is a natural fit for this caseload,” Stack said.  

In anticipation of Supreme Court approval, a file-and-serve interface was developed by the Clerk’s software provider, Jano Justice Systems, and LexisNexis File & Serve, working with Madison County court clerks. 

Since 2006, all cases at the county are electronically imaged and available on public-access computers.  The office was the first in the state to image all cases.  Other county departments, including the Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Public Defender and Probation Office, have 24-hour computer access to cases, saving them calls and trips to the courthouse.   

“There are many other advantages to storing electronic images of court files.  A major advantage is the files’ safekeeping in the event of a natural disaster or fire.  Images can be used to recreate a file.  When a case is closed, Supreme Court rules require it to be converted to film.  With imaging, images can be automatically converted to film,” Chief Deputy Judy Nelson said.   

Space for paper files is also a big consideration at a building as old as the courthouse, where room for growing caseloads is limited.  With electronic images, paper files can be warehoused off site.  Trips to retrieve closed case files from off site are also saved.  Images can usually be emailed when attorneys and police agencies request copies.

For more information, contact Circuit Clerk Matt Melucci at 618-692-6400 or Chief Deputy Judy Nelson at 618-296-4932 or jlnelson@co.madison.il.us.

Jano Justice Systems, Inc., is based in Jackson, Mississippi and has its development center in Springfield, Illinois and is a leader in the development of software for county judicial organizations. Founded in 1989, the Company specializes in CLERICUS MAGNUS ^®, a totally integrated criminal justice solution. Jano Justice Systems develops, engineers, supports and implements their tightly integrated software product suite , which includes Integrated Court, Prosecuting Attorney, Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation and Public Defender modules.

For more information, contact Vasco L. Bridges, Jr., Senior Partner at 800-250-9884 or at www.janojustice.com.

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