New Hampshire's court system taking the next steps to moving online

Source: The Telegraph, Nashua, N.迷你倉沙田H.July 28--NASHUA -- As early as November, people who file small claims lawsuits in Concord and Plymouth will have to do so on the Internet.The electronic filing requirement is part of a pilot program the state's judicial branch is launching in advance of rolling out a $7.25 million online version of the state court system.The e-court project began in 2011 and should be fully functional in 2016, allowing attorneys, litigants and residents to file lawsuits, pay fines and access court documents from their living room."Some of this is geared toward how successful the first one is," said Peter Croteau, the judicial branch's chief technology officer. "We're two years in, and we expect over the next three years we'll put each of 122 court case types online."The court system recently announced that fees associated with some legal filings will be increased to pay for the e-court systems once it's online.Computer terminals will be installed at courthouses for litigants who don't have Internet access at home, Croteau said.New Hampshire's legal system is still paper-based. Attorneys and people representing themselves have to file hardcopy versions of every plea and motion, in person, at the appropriate court.Accessing those documents, the majority of which are public, means asking for them in person and a court clerk searching for the single physical copy that exists. There are no copies and no online version.Often, if a judg迷你倉價錢 is making a ruling in a particular case and has the file in his or her chambers, it's inaccessible to the public.But establishing the e-court takes much more than scanning thousands of files and forms into an online database.Croteau said most of the work includes "re-engineering" the flow of lawsuits through the justice system, removing steps that are redundant or unnecessary."We have to re-engineer the business process and hopefully take some steps out and make it more efficient," he said.Five companies bid to provide the system's base software. Two finalists were selected; Croteau said the winning company, which will then tailor its software to New Hampshire's laws, will be announced in a matter of weeks.The Legislature approved an initial $1.9 million to launch the project, and another $3.5 million was included in the most recent two-year budget.Croteau said the increase in filing fees in civil cases, which will generate about $7 million annually, an increase of $1.3 million, will be used to pay the company providing the software and to maintain the system.The increases range from a few dollars to nearly $50, according to an order posted on the Supreme Court's website.Joseph G. Cote can be reached at 594-6415 or jcote@nashua telegraph.com. Also, follow Cote on Twitter (@Telegraph_JoeC).Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Telegraph (Nashua, N.H.) Visit The Telegraph (Nashua, N.H.) at .nashuatelegraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫