LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: COMPUTERIZING THE MISSOURI COURTS

To the Editor:

This session, the Missouri General Assembly will again be considering a bill that will provide for computerization and automation of the Missouri state court system. The Missouri Bar supports this bill and hopes that it receives favorable consideration by the State Legislature.

This legislation would provide for the desperately needed automation of the Missouri court system. The funding for this automation would come from a $7.00 increase in filing fees for most court cases -- essentially a "user fee." Although The Missouri Bar has been reluctant in the past to support the funding of statewide projects through increases in case filing fees, we do believe that this funding mechanism is appropriate for court automation.

Most other state courts are automated to the point that courthouse records can be accessed with computers outside the courthouse. In Missouri, to determine the status of a case, it is usually necessary for someone to travel to the courthouse to personally review the court file. This is not only inefficient, but results in unnecessary expenses being incurred.

An automated court system will improve the service Missourians receive from their courts. It will help reduce delays, decrease court congestion and reduce the cost of litigation.

Ultimately, the public suffers because our court system is not computerized. The obsolete manner in which our court records are kept contributes to the delays and expenses incurred by our citizens who are involved in the legal system. The Missouri Bar strongly urges the Missouri General Assembly to support the Court Automation Bill.

DUDLEY McCARTER

President

The Missouri Bar

St. Louis