Court clerk candidates champion paperless office
Electronic filing of court documents and a paperless office dominated a recent discussion between two candidates running in next month's Democratic primary for clerk of the Cook County circuit court.
The clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of one of the world's largest unified court systems.
Four-term incumbent Dorothy Brown touted the introduction of an electronic filing systemwide and pledged to "make the entire office an electronic office" if elected to a fifth term.
Attorney and civil-rights advocate Jacob Meister, who served as hiring partner for a 350-person law firm, is challenging Brown in the March 15 primary.
He says the clerk operates an antiquated system. If elected, he says he will transition the office from a paper-based system to a paperless operation.
Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris is also running in the Democratic primary. Harris did not respond to interview requests and did not complete a Daily Herald candidate questionnaire.
About 1.5 million case files pass through the clerk's office annually, and "on any given day, one-third of the files may be missing," Meister said during a recent meeting with the Daily Herald editorial board.
He said an electronic system - which the federal government and some states have adopted - would allow individuals to access an entire case file online, which he says would be more efficient and cost-effective.
Record keeping remains paper-based because attorneys refuse to file electronically, said Brown, adding that the Illinois Supreme Court has mandated attorneys and pro se applicants file electronically beginning in 2018.
Explaining why Cook County case files are not available online as they are in other counties, Brown cited privacy concerns and Illinois Supreme Court policy, which she says prohibits case information from being made available to the public online.
Meister pointed out anyone can access that information using the public computers at Cook County courthouses.
Brown said she plans to introduce a new case management system, for which she says the money has already been allocated. She said the system will be introduced in 2016 or 2017.
"These promises were made 16 years ago and still haven't been implemented," Meister replied.
"I'm not promising the same thing I promised 15 years ago," said Brown. "I automated the manual system, went to e-filing, implemented imaging and document management and now I have the money to do the case management system."
Meister says adopting an electronic system has another advantage in that it would redirect employees from "pushing paper around to customer service" where they are needed.
Diane Shapiro, Republican committeeman for Chicago's 46th ward, is running unopposed in her party's primary.