Liberty and justice for all? Equal access requires a court technology upgrade.

• Author: Abadin, Ramon A.
• Position: President's page

There's no question that technology is dramatically changing our lives: how we communicate, how we the consumers purchase services and goods, how we acquire legal services, and how we practice law.

Because of the power of computers and the access given to us all through the Internet, the court system and the law are now more accessible to individual citizens than ever before.

Electronic filing through the statewide portal is a new tool that has made access to the courts more efficient, affordable, and convenient for the consumers of the services provided by the courts.

Individuals (pro se litigants) can now file their own pleadings in the appropriate courts at any time and from anywhere, without having to navigate the old byzantine filing system or even appearing at the courthouse.

In order to allow access to justice for all, our judicial system must facilitate access to electronically filed documents to judges in every courthouse in the state, using technology that allows judges and court staff to be able to review, respond to, and manage those filings electronically.

Dispensing liberty and justice to all Florida citizens--rights that belong to everyone--requires their judicial system to use modern, up-to-date, and efficient electronic case management systems to facilitate access to our courts.

In order to provide liberty and justice for all, the judicial system needs to enhance its current technology needs. Unfortunately, for the citizens of Florida, there is no uniformity across the state among the counties, in the case management systems used by the clerks and the courts to manage electronic filings.

Many smaller counties cannot afford to pay for the courts technology equipment and staffing needs. Without uniformity across the state for access (by citizens and judges) is access to our Florida courts really equal?

That's why I wholeheartedly support the judicial branch's $25.3 million budget request that calls for 65 FTEs to address the technology needs of our trial courts across Florida. Currently, the Senate is recommending $4.7 million in its budget proposal, and there is nothing mentioned in the House budget proposal.

In the Eighth Circuit, comprised of six counties, Chief Judge Robert Roundtree said the court is required to have one case management system capable of interfacing with three different case management systems in his circuit. He said it's been a challenge for his judges and court staff to access electronic cases in real...