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Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Mississippi's court system is now fully online. Here's how it happened
Every circuit, chancery and county court across Mississippi's 82 counties is finally part of the statewide electronic court system, completing a nearly two-decade-long mission to have a uniform digital court system. Nathan Evans, the director of the Mississippi Electronic Courts, said in a news release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, that the successful statewide implementation of the system marks a historic milestone for the judiciary. 'With both appellate courts and all 188 Chancery, Circuit and County Courts now operating on a single, centralized case management and e-filing system, we have taken a significant leap in efficiency, transparency, and access to justice for the public we serve,' Evans said. Electronic court implementation was voluntary in trial courts until the Legislature passed HB 25 in 2020, which Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law, requiring local trial courts to be fully integrated with the electronic system by July 2, 2021. But court leaders at the time notified state officials that it would be impossible to meet the statutory deadline and asked the Legislature to appropriate more money for the court to integrate all trial courts into the electronic system more quickly. The Legislature did not provide more money for court officials to complete the job of training local chancery and circuit clerk employees in every corner of the state on how to use the system, but court officials proceeded with the Herculean task. Still, the achievement means that attorneys can electronically file legal briefs in every state court, and the public can view court documents through the Mississippi Electronic Court system by subscribing to the system and paying a 20-cents per-page viewing fee. If citizens still want to view court documents without paying the MEC viewing fee, they can go to the proper courthouse and look at the legal filings on the public court terminal. 'Now, our judges, district attorneys, public defenders, and attorneys can access and file documents instantly,' Rankin County Circuit Clerk Michelle Adcock said in the news release. 'It's a game changer for courtroom efficiency and transparency. This just streamlines justice and increases public access to court records.' But before the court's recent announcement, it took a performance storm almost 20 years ago that involved a whiteboard in Canton, the U.S. Senate's seniority system and a gift from the federal court for Mississippi's electronic court system to get off the ground. When then-Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. read an article in a newspaper around 2005 saying that Hinds County would start allowing attorneys to partially 'e-file' court documents, he knew the state Supreme Court should get involved. Waller, an associate justice of the court at the time, realized that if the state's highest court didn't step in and provide some guidance on an electronic system, then the state could eventually have a patchwork of different programs. So, he encouraged Chief Justice James Smith to create a task force exploring electronic courts. Justice Smith followed Waller's advice and formed a committee of judges, court clerks and attorneys. Soon, the task force began meeting and listened to a presentation from J.T. Noblin, the clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Noblin walked the task force members through how attorneys and judges used the federal electronic filing system that was in place across federal district courts in the country. After the presentation, Arthur Johnston, the Madison County chancery clerk who served on the committee, had an epiphany. 'A light went on in my head that said we have so many lawyers in the state who are familiar with that federal system,' Johnston said. 'I wondered if that could be the system that we adopt. Justice Waller thought that was a splendid idea.' Members of the task force traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, Mississippi's senior senator, who served as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, to discuss the federal electronic court system. Cochran used his position as chairman of the committee to slip a provision into the federal judiciary's appropriation bill that required the federal courts to give the Mississippi court system its federal electronic software and code for free, saving state taxpayers a large sum of money. After the legislation passed, the wonky and technical work of actually creating a Mississippi version of the federal system began. Madison County Chancery Court was the first to attempt to roll out an electronic court, but there was one main snag in trying to copy the federal judiciary's electronic system: the Chancery Court system dealt with different types of cases than federal court. Federal courts typically deal with criminal and civil cases, similar to Mississippi's Circuit Court system. But the Chancery Court deals with estates, adoption, custody, divorce and questions about the Mississippi Constitution. To iron out the issues, Johnston and his deputy clerks — Kim Seivers, Lakisha Jones-Clay and Stacey Toten — worked out of a room in the local WIN Job Center and converted it into a 'war room.' Each afternoon, the employees would look through Chancery Court cases and create a corresponding description in the database to create its electronic system. The work eventually paid off because Madison County accepted the first electronic case in 2008. 'We would make notes on a dry-erase board on the problems we ran into,' Johnston said. The work in the war room eventually created a template that other courts across the state, with the help of the Administrative Office of the Courts, would replicate. While the work took decades to complete, Waller hopes that ultimately the openness that comes with an electronic court can improve the public's image of the judiciary, and make attorneys' jobs easier. 'It's a beautiful success story for the state,' Waller said. 'There's no doubt about it.' ___ This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Repairs for two Kentucky county courthouses following April floods could cost $11 million
The Franklin County Courthouse in Frankfort on March 26, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) The estimated cost to repair two Kentucky county courthouses following April floods is about $11 million, an Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) official told lawmakers Tuesday. Danny Rhoades, the executive officer of AOC, told members of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary that insurance claims are still being filed to fix issues at the Hardin and Franklin county courthouses. However, the state may need to pay to address lingering issues. Rhoades did note that the insurance coverage for the Franklin County Courthouse is about $1 million. Officials are also waiting to see if FEMA can cover some costs or reimbursements of courthouse repairs, but no federal emergency declaration has been given for public facilities at this time. 'But we have to get these back up and operational and repaired as quickly as possible. So the court will need your all's help,' Rhoades said to the committee. In addition to the Franklin and Hardin county buildings, the Perry County Hall of Justice also suffered some damage from early April floods. Wind damaged some roof panels on the Perry County Courthouse and some water entered the building, but that was quickly repaired, Rhoades said. Since it was built about 28 years ago, the Hardin County Justice Center had never flooded until April, Rhoades said. The building had 18 inches of flood water in its basement, which did house court records and some electrical equipment. Court operations in Hardin County were suspended while electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems were evaluated and the water receded. However, operations for the Franklin County Courthouse are still happening offsite due to flooding in the lowest level of the building. Last week, the Franklin Circuit Clerk's office, as well as some in-person proceedings for the circuit and district court, moved to the Administrative Office of the Courts' campus at 1001 Vandalay Drive in Frankfort. The building was previously a Home Depot store. For a few weeks, the court had in-person proceedings in the Court of Appeals chambers on Chamberlin Avenue. Some proceedings for people in custody have taken place at the Frankfort Regional Jail. 3. Disaster Response During April, water reached four feet on the first floor of the Franklin courthouse. That's where the circuit clerk offices, security office, specialty courtrooms and holding cells are. Also, the building's mechanical and electrical systems were damaged by water. Rhoades said it took a week for water to be pumped out of the building. Judge Thomas Wingate, the chief circuit judge for Franklin County, also appeared before the committee and detailed how staff members moved court records throughout the night and early morning to save them from flood water, adding that he could not help much because of a recent back surgery. 'It actually started coming in about — I don't know — it was like 10 o'clock in the morning,' Wingate told lawmakers. 'By 11, I ordered everybody out. I thought someone was going to get electrocuted. It was coming in that quick.' Wingate said that as a circuit judge, most of his caseload has not been affected. The courthouse and jail have reverted to some COVID-era protocols, meaning court can be held virtually over Zoom meetings. 'As you all know, since sometimes you all are in my court, it's Monday and Wednesday at nine, I just do it from my living room,' Wingate said. As Franklin County is home to Kentucky's capital city, most court cases involving state officials or government are filed in the local circuit court. An AOC spokesperson recently told the Kentucky Lantern that full restoration of the Franklin County Courthouse may take over a year. AOC has hired an architect to develop options for restoration or renovation, but has not yet chosen a construction company. Rhoades said repairing electrical panels within the Franklin County Courthouse should be completed within the next couple of weeks. Then, the HVAC and plumbing systems will be evaluated for damage. An alternative space for the circuit clerk's office will need to be elsewhere in the building once systems are reestablished. 'I will say that this is a major, major catastrophic flooding event that we basically are having a lot of expenses accumulate on,' Rhoades said. A piece of legislation passed earlier this year included a restricted funds carry-forward balance for the Courts of Justice, Rhoades said. However, the courts will need authorization from the legislature to use the funds available for repairs.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Mexico judiciary names behavioral health administrator to implement new legislation
The New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts has hired Esperanza Lucero, a longtime state social services leader, as its behavioral health integration and reform administrator, a new position set to play a major role in carrying out newly enacted legislation. Lucero will implement the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act, also known as Senate Bill 3, the agency said in a news release. Signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in February, SB 3 tasks the Administrative Office of the Courts with coordinating the development of regional behavioral health plans, with a goal of expanding access to services throughout the state. 'Esperanza is a great fit for this inaugural position,' Administrative Office of the Courts Director Karl Reifsteck said in a statement. 'Her experience working extensively with state and local agencies to implement policy, strategies and initiatives will help in laying the groundwork for behavioral health system improvements required by state law.' Under SB 3, the Administrative Office of the Courts is responsible for convening behavioral health stakeholders — including providers, advocates, law enforcement, state agencies and local, regional and tribal governments — and identifying behavioral health resources and gaps through a patient mapping process known as the Sequential Intercept Model. That work is already underway, with mapping completed in Taos, Union, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties in 2024, and Santa Fe County earlier this year. Workshops are scheduled in June to complete the task in Los Alamos, San Miguel, Mora and Guadalupe counties. Before starting her new position, Lucero served as director of the New Mexico Department of Health's Center for Health Protection and led the state Aging and Long-Term Services Department's Adult Protective Services Division. She holds master's degrees in social work and business administration from New Mexico Highlands University and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University. 'I am passionate about strengthening behavioral health services delivery in New Mexico," Lucero said in a statement. "It's an honor to serve in this capacity.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NM courts name first-ever behavioral health reform expert
Administrative Office of the Courts Behavioral Health Integration and Reform Administrator Esperanza Lucero. (Courtesy photo) The state agency that runs state courts on Monday morning named Esperanza Lucero as its first-ever behavioral health integration and reform administrator, the person tasked with implementing major parts of a new state law reforming New Mexico's behavioral health system. New Mexico this year enacted Senate Bill 3, which is meant to rebuild the state's systems for addressing mental health challenges, including substance use disorder. The law requires the Administrative Office of the Courts to divide the state into behavioral health regions, each of which will identify five behavioral health priorities over the next four years. 'I see the Judiciary as uniquely suited to providing the leadership to bring together local stakeholders and providers in a meaningful way,' Esperanza said in a statement. Esperanza's first task in her new position is to assess the initiatives already underway in New Mexico under what is called Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM), Supreme Court Chief Justice David Thomson said in a statement. SIM is a commonly used conceptual model developed in the early 2000s that outlines points of 'intercept' where people with mental health or substance use disorders can receive treatment and support. AOC completed mapping for Santa Fe County in January; for Rio Arriba County in December; and for the Eighth Judicial District in northeastern New Mexico in October, according to reports published on its website. A mapping workshop for the Fourth Judicial District in Mora, San Miguel and Guadalupe counties is scheduled for June 10 and 11, and a workshop for Los Alamos County is scheduled for June 23 and 24. By June 1, the state Health Care Authority's Behavioral Health Services Division will provide AOC with behavioral health standards and service evaluation guidelines, and by the end of this year, the state's Medicaid program will establish a group of licensing boards to help streamline mental health providers' credentialing, according to a timeline presented by New Mexico's top adult mental health services official earlier this month. Lucero previously served as director of the state Department of Health's Center for Health Protection, and led the Aging and Long-Term Services Department's Adult Protective Services Division. 'Her experience working extensively with state and local agencies to implement policy, strategies and initiatives will help in laying the groundwork for behavioral health system improvements required by state law,' AOC Director Karl W. Reifsteck said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
A 'Bill of Right' unveiled for guardianships in New Mexico
Apr. 20—More men than women had legal guardians last year in New Mexico. The biggest age group wasn't the elderly, but those between 31 and 50 years old. And four people with guardians were 101 years old or older. The data provided by the state Administrative Office of the Courts is now routinely collected each year. But some seven years ago, New Mexico state courts couldn't say how many people had been appointed guardians to help manage their lives or finances. Tracking was so inconsistent that in Bernalillo County, for instance, two special masters undertook spot checking of cases, and even made home visits, to make sure those under guardianship were still alive. Guardianship is considered the last resort for a person deemed by a state court judge to lack capacity to make his or her own decisions. A guardian, more often than not, is a family member. But about a quarter of appointed guardians last year were professionals who are paid to make personal and/or property decisions on behalf of an individual, according to the latest review of cases representing the time period from January 2024 to December 2024. Last year, 5,130 people in New Mexico had legal guardians, the AOC data shows. Fifty-seven percent were men, while 43% were women. Though guardianships are more typically associated with senior citizens, court case reviews showed the biggest group in New Mexico last year was between 31 and 50 years old. The total in that category was 1,841, followed by 1,342 ages 18 to 30; 1,127 between 51 and 70; and 820 ages 71 and older. 'Treated with dignity' Several waves of legal reforms have been enacted since 2018, after the Journal began an ongoing investigation into the legal process that critics complained was ripe for corruption given the power granted to court-appointed guardians and conservators. The ensuing reforms emphasized more oversight and monitoring of guardians and conservators to protect against neglect, abuse and exploitation. Incapacitated people in guardianships were called "protected persons." Although the guardianship system removes many of a person's fundamental rights, the state Supreme Court has endorsed a "Bill of Rights" setting out what rights the thousands of New Mexicans with court-appointed guardians still retain. "So many people who are the subject of a guardianship, a protected person, are not in a position to cull the statutes to understand what their rights are," said state Supreme Court Justice Shannon Bacon, a member of an interdisciplinary working group that created New Mexico's Bill of Rights. She said New Mexico's version tries to simplify the basics and make them easy to read. For instance, Bacon said, those under guardianships have a right to hire a lawyer. That can be helpful in the sometimes contentious cases, such as those that involve family members or other issues. Among other rights, protected persons can attend and take part in all court hearings. They also have the right to tell the judge on the case their concerns or complaints about the guardianship and to be included in decision-making. "If there is a question about what you can do, you have the right to have a qualified person of your choice evaluate your abilities and see if some, or all, of your rights can be restored," the Bill of Rights states. And protected persons have the right to ask the court to review whether the guardianship should change, continue, or end, and "can ask if your guardian is right for you," states another of the 21 rights outlined. "It's important to remember they (protected individuals) should be treated with dignity," Bacon added. Bacon said the new Bill of Rights is posted on the state Supreme Court website, and will be disseminated to New Mexico lawyers and others involved in the guardianship process. "I will be encouraging that district judges post these in their courtrooms," she added. Other proposed improvements endorsed by the Supreme Court died in committee during the recent state legislative session. One would have set out what should happen when a protected person dies and doesn't have heirs. Another measure that failed pertained to waivers of liability for conservators appointed to make financial decisions. Bacon said New Mexico has become a leader in enacting guardianship reforms. Nationwide, the American Bar Association estimates from 1 million to 3 million people have had a guardian appointed due to age-related cognitive decline, dementia, disability, traumatic brain injury or other circumstances. "I'm very proud of what New Mexico has done in changing the structure of adult guardianships," Bacon said.
