|
1
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
5
|
- CIRCUIT COURT
- FAMILY COURT
- MASTER-IN-EQUITY COURT
|
|
6
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
8
|
- South Carolina has fewer judges
with a heavier caseload than any other court system in the nation
- SC has the highest number of
general jurisdiction non-traffic case filings per judge (4,180) in the
country. The next highest is
3,147 in North Carolina
- SC has the fewest number of
general jurisdiction judges per capita in the country at 1.1 per 100,000
population
- SC’s general jurisdiction civil
caseload increased 68% in the 10 years from 1996 to 2006
|
|
9
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
11
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
13
|
- This Project is being built and implemented to gain federal
certification to eliminate the significant federal fines currently
imposed on the State of South Carolina
- C-hild Support Enforcement System
- F-amily Court Case Management System
- S-tate Disbursement Unit
- (1)CSES and (2)FCCMS are being developed by:
- Department of Social Services (DSS) project team that includes a courts
team selected by SCJD
- Saber - Prime contractor
- BearingPoint – Courts focus
- Center for the Support of Families - Training
- Monthly executive meetings are held that includes SCJD, DSS, CIO, and
representatives from the Governor’s Office
|
|
14
|
- The CFS Project consisting of
Child Support Enforcement System (CSES), Family Court Case Management
System (FCCMS), and State Disbursement Unit (SDU) provides an
opportunity for the Courts to do the following:
- Develop consistency in operations and procedures across the state
- Leverage best practices
- Utilize modern web technologies
- Review and update forms, processes, and procedure manuals
- Provide more accurate reporting
- CSES will:
- Serve the needs of Department of Social Services (DSS) and Clerks of
Court
- Contain all of the financials for child support and alimony for the
Family Courts
- Perform all of the required federal reporting for child support
- FCCMS will:
- Serve the case management and docketing needs for the Clerk of Courts
- Provide case summaries and reports for the Judges
- Have a Judges’ index developed specifically for use by the Family
Court Judges
- Perform all of the required reporting for Court Administration
- SDU will:
- Provide for the statewide handling, receipting, depositing, and
disbursement of child support payments
|
|
15
|
- Network Infrastructure and Internet Connectivity
- Web Portal
- Case Management
- Call Center Support and Technology Training
- Document Management - Imaging
|
|
16
|
|
|
17
|
- New SCJD website went live on 11/16/07
- All functionality available from the main page within 2 mouse clicks
- Mobile version of our website is now automatically available by
accessing www.sccourts.org with your Blackberry
|
|
18
|
|
|
19
|
|
|
20
|
- A “simple” divorce packet has been developed and will be available from
the SCJD website www.sccourts.org
- Developed with Court Administration
- Approved by the Family Court Judges Advisory Committee
- Includes 13 court forms:
- Forms for a self-represented litigant to file for an uncontested
divorce based on a 1 year separation
- Sample Answer for the defendant
- Petition for name change
- Draft Order for the divorce
- Sample script to use in the courtroom
- SC Bar is developing an instructional video that will be available
online to explain the packet
|
|
21
|
- Grant application has been made to establish a pilot program in
Darlington County for self-represented litigants to use a kiosk or
public access terminal to complete divorce packet forms for use in
Family Court
- Collaborative application was made by:
- Access to Justice Commission
- South Carolina Bar Foundation
- South Carolina Bar
- South Carolina Legal Services
- Darlington County Clerk of Court
- Grant award notice is expected to be received in September ‘08
|
|
22
|
- Clerk of Court subcommittee has been established
- Developing training materials differentiating legal information from
legal advice
- Materials include:
- Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
- based on results from Clerk of Court surveys
- Signage for courthouses advising what court
- personnel can and cannot provide
- When completed, materials will be included in the Clerk of Court manual
|
|
23
|
- With technology and electronic and paper records, the proper balance
needs to be maintained among public access, personal privacy, and public
safety while preserving the judicial process
- Task Force was established and met in 2007, led by Alan Carlson, President of Justice Management
Institute (JMI), which established an initial internal draft policy
- Since the task force discussions were completed, several developments
have occurred:
- Workgroup was formed out of the CFS project to refine the guidelines to
further define access to the Family Court records – workgroup is
working with CFS Clerk of Court Committee
- New state legislation (S453, R202) was signed by the Governor on
4/2/2008 that is the Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft
Protection Act that is now under consideration as to how best to
include in the proposed guidelines
- NCSC will conduct a public-privacy conference in November ’08
- Review of the draft policy, new laws, and workgroup results is underway
to
- to provide more specific direction and guidance to judicial staff
|
|
24
|
- Purpose is to increase the efficiency of the civil court by addressing
complex business, corporate, and commercial matters with specialized
case management procedures
- Pilot program was established on October 1, 2007
|
|
25
|
|
|
26
|
- Family Court Judge Leslie Kirkland Riddle Awarded 2008 National Court
Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Judge of the Year
|
|
27
|
- Judge James W. Johnson, Jr.
|
|
28
|
|
|
29
|
|
|
30
|
|
Notes
