Technology Services

Please note that these materials are provided for historical purposes only. The information presented is out of date and may be neither accurate nor useful. External hyperlinks may no longer be valid. For current court technology information, please see the new Court Technology Bulletin.

JiBBS: A Bulletin Board System for Judges

Milan Dragicevich

The Judicial Information Bulletin Board System (JiBBS) is an electronic communication tool, custom-made for judges. The Planning and Research Unit (PRU) of the Los Angeles County Municipal Courts initially developed JiBBS to link judges throughout Los Angeles County. JiBBS has since expanded to serve over 500 judicial officers in six states.

As the first judicial bulletin board in California, JiBBS is a creative resource that helps judges both communicate and gain access to important information through their PCs. Through JiBBS, judges exchange messages, share information, receive court-related news, and access a variety of legal materials. During the Los Angeles riots, when mail service was disrupted, JiBBS proved to be extremely valuable as it distributed judicial emergency memoranda, detailed news reports, and urgent legislative updates regarding extended time limits for arraignments.

A popular JiBBS feature is electronic mail, which allows judges to communicate privately among themselves. The system combines the convenience of a letter with the ease of a phone call by allowing judges selectively to address individuals, committees, and other groups. Once entered, messages are simultaneously mailed to all selected recipients. Access to JiBBS is currently available only to judicial officers and is secured through confidential passwords.

Judges can also establish "discussion groups" within JiBBS to exchange ideas and to discuss legal and administrative issues with other judges. Judges may select discussion group members from JiBBS's registry of users. This feature contains biographical information and a photo of each registered user.

In addition to enhancing communication, JiBBS features a database library, which holds a variety of legal materials. Initially, the library contained legal memoranda, including PRU documents and summaries of California legislative changes. It is being expanded to include reports from the California Center for Judicial Education and Research, cases from California appellate courts, and other resources. Additional materials may be added as judicial needs are identified.

The JiBBS library provides many search and retrieval options. For example, users can search documents for specific words and phrases. Once identified, documents can be viewed on screen or printed by pressing a single key.

Judges like JiBBS because it is convenient and offers a wide range of resources. With its dynamic, colorful display, judges don't have to spend time memorizing and typing commands. Rather, they select options from a menu. A help key provides on-line assistance as needed.

JiBBS continues to grow each month as more judges become registered users. The minimum hardware requirements for a JiBBS user are a 286 PC with 530 K available memory, 1.5 megabytes of disk space, a Hayes- compatible 2400 baud modem, and a VGA monitor. For more information, contact the PRU's Judicial Technology Group at (213) 974-6181, fax (213) 687-8986.

Milan Dragicevich is a technical writer for the Planning and Research Unit of the Los Angeles County Municipal Courts and the editor of the PRU Bulletin. He is the author of the JiBBS Pocket Guide, an introductory road map for JiBBS.