Senate Journal: Page 57: Wednesday, January 14, 1998

  There are other proposals that require further study.  The committee
  recommended
  more review hearings and less time between hearings.  These changes could
  vastly
  improve judicial oversight of these cases if there are more judges to handle
  the extra
  hearings.  We have asked the committee to determine the number of judges
  that would
  be needed to accomplish its worthy goal.  We advise you to withhold acting
  on this
  specific recommendation pending the outcome of the committee's study.

  At this point, I want to briefly discuss our need for judges in general.  We
  appreciate your response to our requests for more judges in recent years.
  The added
  judge power has made a tremendous difference in our ability to administer
  justice.
  Last fall, two of our districts asked that we include more judges in our
  budget request.
  We did not.  After a careful evaluation of our overall needs, we decided
  that support
  staff for our judges is a more critical need in our district or trial courts
  this year.  That
  support is needed in the offices of our clerks of district court and
  juvenile court
  services.  We also need more law clerks to help our judges with research and
  rulings.
  This year we will evaluate, with the help of our planning office, our need
  for judges.
  We will report our findings to you next year.

  We obviously must do what we can to attract and retain good judges.  We
  appreciate your strong support of judicial compensation and retirement
  requests over
  the years and hope that we can continue to count on your support this year.

  Now, I'd like to again switch gears and report on the progress that we've
  made with
  the help of technology.  We're proud of our statewide computer network which
  was
  completed last September.  More than thirty clerk of district court offices
  were
  computerized last year alone.  This achievement represents the culmination
  of more
  than ten years of planning and hard work by many people.  I want to thank
  and
  commend you for your support over the years.

  It wasn't easy changing from a paper-based record keeping system to a
  computer-
  based system.  There were many times in the early years of the program when
  I
  thought we might have a revolt on our hands.  In fact, there were times when
  I thought
  I might lead the revolt!  But we made it through the tough times, and today
  we are one
  of few court systems in the country with a statewide computer network.

  The completion of our statewide computer network does not mean that our work
  is
  finished.  The system must be updated, maintained, supported, and enhanced
  if we are
  to retain it and realize its full potential.

  Two of the promising technological innovations now within our grasp deserve
  special mention.

  IowAccess.  Think of accessing court records from the convenience of one's
  home or
  office.  Or what about specialized reports in a format generated to fit a
  customer's
  specific needs?  Automation adds value to court information.  Justice Marsha
  Ternus of
  our court has been working with the IowAccess Project to explore the idea of
  marketing
  these value added services.  It could turn into a revenue producing venture
  for the
  state.

  We're excited about an interface with the DOT which will completely automate
  the
  processing of criminal citations from start to finish.  When issuing a
  citation, law
  enforcement officers armed with computers and scanners, will enter
  information about

© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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