Computers will link courts soon

Campbell and Struthers municipal courts have opted out of the system.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County court officials have taken the final steps toward a new computer system that will link most of the county's courts together and eventually link them to the public.
This week, county commissioners approved the purchase of more than $400,000 in computer equipment and software licenses to complete the system.
That's in addition to $1.1 million in software that was approved for purchase in April.
"I think we're all set to go forward now," said Clerk of Courts Anthony Vivo. He said all of the equipment and software are being obtained through a state purchasing consortium.
The equipment is being paid for with revenue from a court computerization fund established by judges several years ago.
Training in the fall
Vivo said he'll start training his staff in the fall to use the new equipment. Training is expected to take about four months, he said. A special training area is being set up in the county administration building, where the commissioners' offices are located.
The current system has been in place for 15 years, so it has become outdated.
Vivo said the new system will be installed in the common pleas court, domestic relations court, juvenile court, the county's four area courts and Youngstown Municipal Court. Only Campbell and Struthers municipal courts will be excluded.
"Those communities just chose not to participate," Vivo said. "They certainly have every right to do that."
He said those courts can join the system later if they desire.
Efficiency will improve
Having all the courts on the same computer system will improve efficiency by allowing the courts to share information, Vivo said. Each court will have access to the other courts' records. Local police also will be able to access the system.
Court employees also will begin scanning documents into the computer system for storage, rather than having to store actual paper documents. That will help ease the storage space problem in the courthouse, and will eventually allow the public to view court records from home computers.
Public access
Vivo said a Web site will give the public access to records, probably sometime next year.
"But that timetable is very tentative," he said. "This is a huge project, and a lot of things can happen that would slow it down."
The new system is the same one used by about 25 other counties in Ohio, including Columbiana, Trumbull and Ashtabula, Vivo said.
bjackson@vindy.com