The Supreme Court of Ohio
& The Ohio Judicial System

April 28, 2015
Chief Justice Delivers Technology Grants to Three Courts

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor today presented grant checks to Geauga County Common Pleas Court, Trumbull County Family Court, and Willoughby Municipal Court.

The grants are from the Supreme Court’s Ohio Courts Technology Initiative.

“I am pleased to personally present the 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.

Geauga County to Provide Improved Access
Geauga County Common Pleas Court’s check was for $143,979.99. The money will be used to buy equipment so that the court can offer electronic document filing to attorneys and self-represented litigants, 24/7 docket access, and online payment services.

“The Geauga County Court of Common Pleas is excited to have been selected to receive the Ohio Supreme Court’s technology grant. This grant will enable all of the divisions of the court to be more efficient in performing the court’s duties while giving electronic access to the public for the filing of documents, review of court records, and payment of fees and obligations,” Judge Forrest Burt said.

Trumbull County to Upgrade Document Scanning
Trumbull County Family Court received $33,043.52 to purchase a high-volume scanner and a desktop scanner in order to do bulk document scanning. The new equipment will replace the current system that requires pages to be scanned one at a time.

“We are excited to receive this funding from the Supreme Court of Ohio to upgrade our technology that will allow documents to be scanned with state-of-the-art equipment. This will enable our employees to accomplish their duties in a more efficient manner,” Judge Pamela Rintala said.

Willoughby Court to Improve Server
At a stop at the Willoughby Municipal Court, Chief Justice O’Connor delivered two checks totaling $17,087.25.

“I am grateful to Chief Justice O’Connor and the Ohio Supreme Court for the grants. The first grant of $16,513.25 comes at an important time, in that it will allow us to move forward with computer server improvements that have been delayed due to financial considerations,” Judge Harry E. Field said. “The grant will assist us in making technology improvements that will reduce long range equipment and maintenance costs.”

Judge Field said the second grant of $574 will be used to automate the court’s probation department client check-in process, with a secondary benefit of gathering important statistical information.

Grant Applications Still Being Accepted
Grant applications are being accepted through May 15, with final award notifications made by May 31. The applications are being reviewed on an ongoing basis and nearly 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 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.