« Ind. Decisions - Supreme Court posts one today | Main | Law - Calif. Judge Backs Same-Sex Marriage »
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Ind. Courts - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette editorializes about Court network
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has an editorial today about the statewide court case management system. Some quotes:
Patience is needed, but the committee [the Indiana Supreme Court’s judicial technology and automation committee] can hardly blame people from being miffed. Since 2002, more than $6 million has been spent to get the management system in place to link all 92 counties as well as the state departments of correction, motor vehicles, family and social services, revenue and the Indiana State Police.The project is funded by a $2 increase in court fees. The committee does not know how much more this will cost before it is completed, but the vice chairman of the judicial technology committee, Court of Appeals Judge Paul Mathias, disputes the $74 million price tag bandied about by Indianapolis media.
The most glaring setback occurred when Computer Associates, an Islandia, N.Y.-based consulting firm building the network, found its software inadequate for the task during a recent test with Marion County court staffers. Indiana has stopped payments to Computer Associates, but the committee appears willing to take up the company’s offer to build a whole new system at its own expense.
It looks like a boondoggle, but this is far from some pork barrel spending program to line the pockets of a few. In the age of high-speed computer networks, Indiana’s courts shouldn’t plod along in an electronic Jurassic Age. Hoosiers should counterweigh the latest mishaps with the ultimate goal. The judicial committee ought to take this opportunity to work out the kinks to assure successes rather than more hiccups.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 16, 2005 05:15 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts