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 The information presented is out of date and may be neither accurate nor useful.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.

The Best Court Technology Conference Ever!

Thanks to all of you who attended the Fourth National Court Technology Conference (CTC4). Over 2,400 attendees came together in Nashville, October 12-15, 1994, to learn about the latest court technologies and interact with colleagues.

There was never a dull moment! Larry Sipes, President of the National Center for State Courts, and Chief Justice Charles H. O'Brien, of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, welcomed attendees at the opening plenary on Wednesday morning. In the opening keynote, Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, a noted lecturer, author, and medical-legal consultant, discussed the role of forensic and medical evidence in today's legal disputes. At the CTC4 Exhibition, nearly 100 companies showed the latest products and systems for courts. Exhibitor-sponsored educational sessions rounded out Wednesday afternoon. At the CTC4 banquet, keynote speaker Professor George B. Trubow addressed some of the tough issues courts face as electronic public access systems become more widespread.

On Thursday, plenary attendees learned about several electronic filing projects being used in progressive courts across the country. Thursday also marked the kick off of the CTC4 faculty educational sessions and the opening of the PC Laboratory. At the end of the day, prizes were given to several lucky exhibition winners. Ms. Sissy Brooks, special projects director, Lee County Clerk of Court, Fort Myers, Florida won the grand prize - an IBM ThinkPad 755CS Notebook Computer and carrying case.

On Friday, the plenary panel examined the choices and issues surrounding court reporting technologies. At Friday's keynote, Dr. Jennifer James, a cultural anthropologist, charged attendees to "commit to the obvious" and use technology. She both enlightened and entertained the luncheon crowd.

On Saturday, an experienced panel outlined important imaging system considerations related to acquisition, implementation, and management. In a concluding segment, attendees learned what it takes to make technology work for the court - the spirited commitment of everyone, judges, court managers, techies, and private sector partners alike.

CTC4 was the largest court technology conference yet, attracting over 500 more participants than CTCIII. The ranks of judges doubled to almost 300; the number of MIS/Technology representatives reached almost 400. Over a quarter of attendees were court administrators, managers, clerks, or court staff.

We hope you enjoyed the conference and are looking forward to CTC5. For those of you who were unable to attend CTC4, please make note of our educational materials (see sidebar).

Speaking of CTC5 - Have you heard the news? CTC5 is scheduled for November 5-8, 1997, in Detroit, Michigan. While that seems like a long time away, three years allows adequate time to apply today's emerging technologies to courts and time for new technologies to develop. Mark your calendars now, it will be here before you know it! If you have not submitted your CTC4 evaluation, please fill it out and send it in. The evaluation form is also on the TIES-BBS (804) 253-2526. You can win a chance at a CTC5 registration for your completed evaluation.

CTC4 Materials Available

Would you like a videotape of the keynote speakers? Would you like a transcript of the plenary sessions? Do you need another copy of CTC4 on Disk? These are the perfect tools to share the highlights of CTC4 with staff who were unable to attend or to expand your personal library. To receive an order form, call the CTC4 Information Line and leave a voice mail message (804) 259-1850.