News Release

Judicial Council to Review Funding for Court Technology

Technology projects will improve services for the public
Sep 13, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO— The council at its September 20 business meeting will consider a recommendation on how to allocate $12.5 million from this year’s state budget to continue modernizing trial court operations and improving services to the public.

Ongoing state funding for court technology has expanded voice-to-text translation in clerks and self-help offices, electronic filing, hearing reminders, access to court records, and other technology services.

For example:

  • The Virtual Customer Service Center pilot on the judicial branch’s online self-help portal has processed 52,000 questions since March 2021and averages 400,000 visitors per month.
     
  • By this fall, 8 trial courts will be using the branch’s Hearing Reminder Service pilot—the service provides an option for reminders in Spanish, with 4 more languages coming soon.  
     
  • Used in 31 trial courts so far, the branch’s eCART software automates the process of compiling a clerk’s transcript and produces an electronic record that can be securely transmitted to the appellate court.

 Other items on the September 20 council meeting agenda include:

Funding to Backfill Loss of Fee Revenue: The council will consider a proposal on how to allocate $10.3 million included in this year’s state budget to backfill the loss of fee revenue to trial courts due to the repeal of civil assessment fees authorized by Assembly Bill 177.

Update on State Budget from Department of Finance: The council will receive a briefing from Somjita Mitra, chief economist with the California Department of Finance, on the state of California’s economy and the outlook for the state’s finances in the future.

The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center. A link to a live webcast of the meeting will be on the California Courts website on the day of the meeting.