Court information to be available online next year

In the near future, court information will be available at the click of the mouse.

Cass County District Judge John Smith, chief judge of the Ninth Judicial District, Wednesday visited the Crow Wing County Courthouse to discuss changes being made in the district's court system and to recognize the efforts of judges and court administration staffers.

For the past several years, Smith said courthouses statewide have been working to implement the Minnesota Court Information System, which would allow users the ability to view all court filings and cases online.

With the new system, Smith said law enforcement officers will be able to input information for the county attorney, who will then be able to input it for the court system. Any information classified public will be available to be viewed online.

"We'll get rid of paper files hopefully in the next three to five years," Smith said.

Crow Wing County Court Administrator Darrell Paske said the system should be running in Crow Wing County in May, 2007.

Paske said more than saving staffers time, the system will make information accessible to them quicker and will provide more accuracy.

Other areas that will be worked on in the Ninth District include reducing the amount of time it takes to have court cases ready for trial, adding a comment section on the district's Web site, evaluating attorneys pro bono work and adding more judges to the district.

Smith noted there are about 24 judges needed in the district's 17 counties. Currently there are 22 judges. Crow Wing County has four judges and Paske said the almost-completed Judicial Center will have five courtrooms with space for a sixth. The Judicial Center is expected to be open April 15.

"There's a judicial need now," Paske said. "We're on the cusp for a fifth judge."

Smith said he doubted whether any new judges would be added by the Legislature this session.

Smith visited the Crow Wing County Courthouse as part of a tour of all 17 county courthouses in the district. He also visited to recognize the court staffers.

"This is a great court staff with years and years of experience," Smith said. "We've also got excellent judges down here."

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.