Using Online Calendars May Increase Public Safety & Drive Down the Cost of Civil Litigation
The Court’s calendar can haunt and taunt lawyers, litigants and even Judges from time to time. But the reality is that the Court’s calendar can be both a weapon and a shield to ensure the efficient administration of justice, no matter which side of the bar or the courtroom you are on.
When I was a prosecutor, I was responsible for calling the criminal docket in court, which exceeded 100 cases on many days. And everyone was required to appear at 9 a.m. even though they might not get called for quite some time. Those days were mayhem. Defendants would fail to appear or leave before their case was called, resulting in the Judge issuing a warrant for their arrest. To make matters worse, the court would be packed for hours creating security issues. Unfortunately, days like this are still common in many courts across the country.
When I was a civil attorney, I would have to file a motion and then send a runner, play phone tag with the minute clerk or walk it through myself to get a hearing date; only to find out later that the date selected needed to be continued because it didn’t work for all counsel. All of this costs money, lots of money, driving up the cost of litigation for clients big and small.
The inefficiencies of the justice system frustrated me greatly as a practicing attorney. I was not the Judge though, so I had no control over how the Court’s calendar was managed. I could only make suggestions. But can you imagine a young associate at a big downtown law firm or a prosecutor calling the courthouse and making “a few suggestions” about online calendaring?
So in 2012, I resigned from my job at the DA’s office, and ran for Judge. Running involved knocking on doors — lots of them. And what I heard at those doorsteps affirmed what I already knew; our system of justice can be slow and inefficient at times. Thankfully, I was elected in 2013 and given the authority by the people to make changes.
One of the first changes that I made as Judge was to get rid of the paper calendar that was controlled by the minute clerk so I could put it online. The “Big Red Book” as I call it. The cost you might ask: $150/yr. (This cost can vary depending on the product you select and how many calendars you need. But there are tech hacks to keep this cost under $500/yr.) The benefits: PRICELESS!
Over the next few weeks, I will offer ways that any Court can use a simple, online calendar to become more efficient & effective in both the criminal and civil justice systems.
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