New court filing system streamlines filing process

Where once lawyers had to travel to the courthouse to review paperwork, a new data retrieval system will allow them to read files from around the state at their desks.

Idaho courts are switching to a digital filing system called Odyssey. Twin Falls County entered the new system last year, Ada County courts changed over August 8, and the rest of Idaho’s counties will be phased in during the next three years.

The system was created by the Texas-based company Tyler Technologies. It will cost the state about $21.5 million by the time every county is brought on, but it will save time and money now spent on the pursuit of paperwork.

“There are a lot of efficiency gains that happen with the Tyler system,” said Wade Howland, Idaho Supreme Court operations and infrastructure manager. “Clerks and judges will have access to case files from any location for any court. It is a really big game changer.”

The existing system for most of Idaho’s courts is the 26-year-old Idaho Statewide Trial Court Automated System. Each county has its own system, which makes it difficult for counties to share files, and requires each county to manage its own database.

The new system will allow the Idaho Supreme Court’s technicians to manage all of the state from one location and allow lawyers, judges and eventually the public to gain access to any file remotely.

“The new technology will provide users with streamlined access to the court,” said Jan Bennetts, Ada County prosecutor. “Rather than having to travel to the courthouse to file or review court records, lawyers will be able to file and access documents digitally from their desks.”

The transition doesn’t only affect lawyers. Defense attorneys, prosecutors, county clerk offices, judges and law enforcement agencies all have programs within the Odyssey system that require hours of training.

Boise, Elmore, Valley, Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Lincoln, Jerome and Minidoka counties are all expected to enter the Odyssey system in April 2017 but training for that has to begin now, said Howland.

Northern Idaho counties will be added in 2018 and eastern Idaho counties will be added in 2019.

“These systems will increase efficiency, particularly in how my office transmits documents to the court and counsel,” Bennetts said. “This technology suite will provide my staff with access to court records in digital format twenty-four seven. That being said, there will be a learning curve and a period of transition during which we will experience some bumps.”

The existing filing system is paper-based and employs runners who carry discovery forms, motion requests and all other court documents back and forth between the courthouse and attorneys’ offices.

Lawyers will now be able to work file required documents outside of courthouse hours themselves.

Paper copies also require judges to manually pull the file for a case when researching it. This causes several inconveniences throughout the state – especially in more rural counties – as judges frequently sub in on other counties’ cases, said Kristy Grabo, storage server lead with the Idaho Supreme Court.

“Judges will save time not having to travel to prepare,” Grabo said. “Even from home they can have a copy of something.”

Ada County will maintain its paper filing system for two months, but will be required to be completely digital by the end of October.

Once officials are convinced that the digital storage system is secure and reliable, several storage rooms now used for paper case files may become courtrooms or office space, Grabo said.

Eventually, the public will also have digital access to court documents from a portal similar to that of the federal PACER system. Court employees will go through each file and redact sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, Howland said.