SUNBURY - Northumberland County will invest $125,000 for technology upgrades providing online access to court records and enabling WiFi Internet access at the courthouse.
New computer software in the Prothonotary's Office will allow electronic filing of court documents from anyplace at any hour, including on holidays, according to a press release. Remote access to civil records such as lawsuits, currently available only in person, will also be available around the clock on computers, tablets and cell phones. Records currently logged in the outdated system will be supplemented over time with the addition of older records that, at present, are only on paper.
The e-filing system won't go live before late summer or early fall. Justin Dunkelberger, prothonotary and clerk of courts, said it will ease the burden on the current staff and provide advantages to attorneys and citizens researching court cases. He expects to upload additional criminal records to complement basic docket sheet information currently available through the state's Unified Judicial System.
"We've had the office closed for snow, the courthouse has been closed for cracks in the wall. That's no fault of the legal community. If they're up against deadlines and we're closed, they have to get special permission to extend deadlines," Dunkelberger said Friday by telephone.
Money for the upgrades is a combination of revenue generated within the Register and Recorder's Office and the Prothonotary's Office, and is not tax revenue, according to the press release. Additional purchases include tablets and printers to be used by courthouse staff. Dunkelberger envisions the WiFi access in the courthouse to be open to the public, but must discuss access with other county officials.
The Northumberland County Improvement Fund Committee voted Friday to allocate $100,000 to the project, with the additional $25,000 coming from the Prothonotary Improvement Fund. Mary Zimmerman, register and recorder, chairs the committee. Other members are Dunkelberger, Treasurer Kevin Gilroy, Sheriff Robert Wolfe and county Commissioner Stephen Bridy.
The new case management software will replace the Full Court software purchased six years ago with County Improvement Fund revenue. That software is now obsolete, Dunkelberger said.