COUNTYWIDE : Computers Installed for Courts’ Visitors

Public-access computer terminals have been installed at the Ventura County Municipal and Superior courts to help save time for both the public and court staff.

The terminals--two for the Superior Court and two for the Municipal Court--allow visitors at the Hall of Justice in Ventura to check the status of cases. “Each terminal has a set of easy-to-follow instructions and they are user-friendly,” said Margie Borjon-Miller, the courts’ systems and technology manager.

The system, available during normal business hours, allows people to get court information without standing in line for a clerk. The project also helps court staff by reducing the number of inquiries, courts Administrator Sheila Gonzalez said.

The system was put together at no cost, Borjon-Miller said. “We had spare terminals, and the lines were already available,” she said.

The county is working on other ways to use computers to make the courts more accessible, she said. For example, one system being studied would allow individuals to pay for traffic violations or enroll in traffic school from various stations throughout the county.