Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor announced on Wednesday that 47 local court projects are receiving more than $2.9 million in this year’s technology grant funding through the Ohio Supreme Court.
This includes a grant going to the Juvenile Division of the Richland County Court of Common Pleas.
Case management upgrades and security improvements are among the local technology projects selected to receive funding through the Ohio Courts Technology Initiative.
This is the fifth year of disbursements since Chief Justice O’Connor initiated the program, with just over $14 million being received by courts across Ohio.
“Courts today must do more with less, and technology can go a long way toward filling that gap,” Chief Justice O’Connor said. “The projects selected will allow courts to better carry out their primary mission – the fair administration of justice for all Ohioans.”
Ohio appeals, common pleas, municipal, and county courts are encouraged each year to apply for grants to upgrade systems, hardware or equipment, or purchase new ones. The projects selected for funding were scored by a 16-member panel of judges, court administrators, clerks, information technology professionals, security experts, and other personnel from local courts across the state.
For this fifth annual round of funding, preference was given to projects in this order of priority:
- Upgrade of an existing case management system to improve case flow
- Upgrade, replacement or purchase of other technology systems that affect case flow or the fundamental duties of a court
- Upgrade, replacement or improvement of computer hardware or equipment that supports the case management system or other systems that affect case flow or the fundamental duties of a court
- Purchase of any other computer hardware, software or equipment, including projects related to physical security of the court.
A portion of the funds were set aside to fund courtroom or related building security upgrades or equipment installations.
Locally, the Richland County Juvenile Court was awarded $46,196 for an x-ray scanner and magnetometer. Similar devices were requested for the Morrow County Municipal Court in Mount Gilead.
The Ohio Courts Technology Initiative was established to improve the exchange of information and warehousing of data by and between Ohio courts and other justice system partners, an endeavor that includes the Ohio Courts Network.
Including this year, the technology grants from the Supreme Court have helped fund more than 400 projects in Ohio.
