House Journal: Page 69: Wednesday, January 15, 1997

We, indeed all Iowans, are indebted to every member of the
commission for the commitment and talent they brought to this
project.  We owe special thanks to Justice Linda Neuman, who
chaired the commission, and to Justices Bruce Snell and Marsha
Ternus who served with Justice Neuman on the steering committee.
 And, of course, we are indebted to the many individuals and
groups, including the Legislature, for their financial support
that helped make this all possible.
The creation of a formal planning process within the judicial
branch is the cornerstone of the commission's plan.  With your
support, we hope to add a professional planning staff this year
so we can begin this important program.  Because it is so
obviously in the public interest, this is one of our very top
budget priorities. 
We have created an implementation committee to help us sift
through the commission's other recommendations. We will be
coming to you in the future to help us carry out the rest of our
plan. 
What does the future hold in store?  
Start by thinking back twenty-five years - to 1971.  Back then,
I was a district court judge in the old Second Judicial District
that included seven counties in South Central Iowa.  My court
reporter was a "pen-writer."  He reported the testimony with a
pen using Gregg shorthand symbols.  The latest technology to hit
the courts was the memory typewriter.  And we couldn't operate
without mountains of carbon paper.  I must confess that I
understand carbon paper easier than computers. 
I usually presided over a few divorce cases each month. 
Domestic abuse cases rarely came to the courts and were not
identified as such.   Unlike most district court judges, we had
time to hear juvenile cases.  The juveniles who came before me
were usually there for petty property crimes.  I don't remember
a single case involving a violent juvenile during my thirteen
years as a district court judge.  I handled a drug case on
occasion.  But not many.  Meth or crank didn't exist in our
world then. Most of the drug cases involved marijuana.  Most of
the offenders inhaled! 
Who would have predicted the dramatic changes we've seen in just
twenty-five years? The world is vastly different now.  Yet the
principles upon which our justice system is based remain the
same.  And those principles are the foundation upon which to
build a court system that will best serve Iowans in the
twenty-first century.
No one can really predict the future, but with the commission's
help, we now have a clear image of what the future can be.
Imagine a court system that has multiple access points to basic
services in every county, one that is comprehensible to the
average person, and offers a full range of dispute resolution
options to fit different needs. 
Imagine going to a city library or a shopping mall and using a
kiosk or the Internet to find information about the court
system, pay a fine, or electronically file a small claims action.
Imagine a court system that operates without paper.  It may come
to that.
Imagine court proceedings taking place over interactive video,
saving litigants and witnesses the time and expense of traveling
long distances.
Imagine a court system in which legal services are widely
available to all who need them regardless of their income.
Just imagine the possibilities!

Iowa General Assembly

Index: House Journal (77th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1997 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? hjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

Last update: Thu Jan 16 13:10:03 CST 1997
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