Warren court’s records available online

Staff report

WARREN

As part of an ongoing upgrade to the computer system used by Warren Municipal Court, the court’s records system now is available online.

By visiting the website, www.co.trumbull.oh.us, and using the link at the lower left, visitors can access civil and criminal records so that users can keep track of their own cases, see court hearing dates, court cost amounts and status of warrants.

Margaret Scott, clerk of courts, said the site will allow users to begin paying fines or court costs online by sometime this fall by using a “Pay now” link.

The cost of the court upgrades is coming from fees paid by court users and doesn’t involve taxpayer money, Scott said.

By the start of 2012, officials hope they will be able to allow users to have access to documents such as court filings over the Internet. They also hope to offer attorneys additional online services such as online filing, Scott added.

Judge Thomas P. Gysegem said the site should save court office staff “thousands of manual work hours per year” by enabling users to access information they now ask for over the telephone or at the court.

Computer access to records may be especially helpful in situations in which police write a large number of traffic tickets, for instance, over a long weekend, and court personnel are overwhelmed by the volume, Scott said.