May 14, 2015
Chief Justice O’Connor Presents Summit County Courts with Technology Grants
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Tammy O’Brien, Stow Municipal Court Judge Kim R. Hoover, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, and Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio.
Three courts in Summit County will soon have technology upgrades thanks to grants from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Ohio Courts Technology Initiative.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor today delivered the checks totaling more than $65,000 to Summit County Common Pleas Court, Summit County Juvenile Court, and Stow Municipal Court during a presentation in Akron.
“I am pleased to personally present these checks on behalf of the Supreme Court. It is important that we support local court technology projects to remove any barriers to the efficient and effective administration of justice,” Chief Justice O’Connor said.
The Stow Municipal Court grant of $13,729 will be used to purchase and install six digital scanners and seven desktop computers with software to support an update to the court’s case management system.
“On behalf of my staff and myself, we are grateful to the Supreme Court for providing grant funding for the technology initiatives that we are working diligently to implement for the citizens of our jurisdiction,” Stow Municipal Court Presiding Judge Kim R. Hoover said.
The Summit County Juvenile Court will replace outdated computer servers with its $11,398.56 grant.
“I deeply appreciate the Supreme Court’s recognition that upgrading our servers will result in the court functioning more effectively,” said Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio. “I thank the members for their foresight and generosity.”
The Summit County Common Pleas Court will use its $40,600 grant to update case management system software.
Administrative Judge Tammy O’Brien said, “The grant funds allow the General Division to improve our Case Management System by incorporating electronic signature capabilities. This improves workflow by enabling journal entries and court orders to be automated. All of our judges appreciate the support of the Ohio Supreme Court.”
The Supreme Court is accepting grant applications through May 15, with final award notifications made by May 31. The applications are being reviewed on an ongoing basis and more than a million dollars has been awarded so far.
The funding is available to any court of appeals, common pleas court, municipal court, or county court. Examples of projects that could be considered include connection to the Ohio Courts Network, electronic kiosks for self-represented litigants, and electronic transfer of final disposition data to the Computerized Criminal History database.
For a high-resolution, print-quality photo of Chief Justice O'Connor, visit: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/news/images/justices/oconnor_highres.zip.