Judicial Committee on Information Technology
January 15, 1999
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am pleased to submit the report of the Judicial Committee on Information Technology. This first report, which details our findings and recommendations, is also a strategic plan to begin to fulfill the information technology needs of Texas’ courts in a fiscally responsible, systematic manner. This effort is quite a challenging one because of the decentralized court structure in Texas.
The Committee has determined that a system of integrated justice is the wisest investment of local, state, and federal monies that fund court technology. An integrated justice system is one in which data flows electronically through the various legal processes and offices as paper does currently.
Additionally, the Committee has developed a list of other information technology tools that support the information sharing and decision making processes in our legal system; such as electronic benchbooks, standard and model court rules, jury charges, and forms.
In our complex system of government, it is very important that sound information systems exist. The Committee’s goal is to coordinate the sharing of information across thousands of autonomous courts.
The court system plays a vital role in many of the key functions of government. Without a common sense, systematic implementation of information technology in the courts, Texas citizens will not receive the level of service that they deserve for such functions as public safety, law enforcement, child support enforcement and collections, prevention of juvenile delinquency and crime.
JCIT has researched the needs and formulated a plan to systematically implement and integrate information technology into the trial and appellate courts in Texas. Current and proposed state funding is being used to build a statewide integrated system. JCIT and OCA are developing the standards, tools, and support structure necessary to enable such a coordinated court information system with investments from local, state, and federal governments. The courts’ use of this system will enable them to exchange information and documents about cases with other courts, government agencies, attorneys, and the public.
Respectfully,
Peter Vogel
Chair, Judicial Committee on Information Technology