Courts get technology grants

Staff report

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Supreme Court has announced technology grants that will make courts in Mahoning and Trumbull counties more user friendly.

These awards are among 70 grants for local court technology projects totaling more than $2.8 million statewide.

The Youngstown Municipal Court is receiving $29,419 to obtain software for e-payment of fines and court costs.

The Mahoning County Common Pleas Court’s General Division is getting $8,100 to permit credit card payments at the common pleas court and all four area courts.

The area courts are in Sebring, Canfield, Austintown and Boardman.

The courts in Canfield and Sebring began accepting online payments of fines and court costs in routine cases by credit card on May 1, 2015, with these payments being processed through PayPal, with a 4 percent convenience fee added.

The domestic relations and juvenile divisions of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court got a $17,420 grant to upgrade their case-management system to include e-Access by their partners in the justice system and a $15,980 grant for similar access by the public.

“Technology grants increase access to justice to more Ohioans and remove barriers to the efficient and effective administration of justice for local courts,” said Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Ohio Supreme Court.