Electronic DuPage court call to smooth paper trail

Nearly 2,000 people were scheduled to appear Monday in DuPage County's civil, criminal and traffic courtrooms.

In an effort to further modernize Illinois' second-largest judicial system, authorities unveiled a new electronic court call that eventually will make the paper dockets that hang outside courtrooms obsolete.

Circuit Clerk Chris Kachiroubas showed off the new electronic system in which 57 flat-screen monitors display the day's court call in alphabetical order complete with defendant's name, room number and time to appear.

"The court call is about transparency in the judicial system," Kachiroubas said. "It opens the door to the general public about what is happening in the courthouse."

The technology cost $496,000 and was paid for through a court-automation fee assessed to all new circuit clerk filings. The circuit clerk's office handles about 325,000 new filings each year.

The monitors, installed outside each courtroom, are similar to those displayed in airports that list flight information. Other jurisdictions with similar electronic court calls are DeKalb, Lake and McHenry counties.

Illinois Appellate Justice Ann Jorgensen, the county's former chief judge who helped shepherd through the technology, joined Kachiroubas during a Monday news conference to officially turn on the newly installed monitors.

"Anyone can walk into the courthouse and find out any place any case is pending in this building on any given day," she said. "I think that's a remarkable accomplishment for our circuit court."

Under the old system, Kachiroubas said his deputy clerks spent up to five hours a day preparing the paper dockets, which he said cost $20,000 to $25,000 a year for paper and printing supplies.

Authorities plan to continue tacking up the paper dockets outside courtrooms for another three to six months to ease the transition.

Eventually, after the software is developed, authorities anticipate the monitors also will be used for emergency situations, such as courthouse evacuations, as an information tool.

The monitors are the latest of several technological advances in the clerk's office. Others include electronic filing, online protective orders in domestic violence cases and expanded access to drivers' license records in courtrooms.

Kachiroubas also plans to unveil new technology next week in Naperville that will allow police to issue electronic tickets from their squad cars during traffic stops.

The public also may access an upcoming court date online at www.dupagecase.com.