System allows faster access to court records

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Faster and shared access to court documents, that's the goal of a program that is being installed across Indiana.

The system called Odyssey was launched in Hamilton County Tuesday that now makes 40 Indiana courts in 13 counties.

It's a court case management system that started as a pilot in 10 counties and continues to expand.

Before the program began in December of 2007, there were five Indiana counties that still used typewriters and log books.

One use: Odyssey connects with license and registration scanning equipment in police cars.

Chief Justice Randall Shepard used an example of an officer pulling over a man near his estranged wife's house, the officer not knowing there is a restraining order in effect. He said: "Now the officer can find that out 24 hours a day and find it out instantly and it's literally the case that some people will live rather than die."

Ollie Schierholz the Hamilton County Court Administrator commented that as the court administrator I am especially pleased that we have Odyssey because for the tax payers of Hamilton County this is subsequently going to result in an excess of $70,000 every year.

The program is being paid for by a court filing fee established by the General Assembly.

Chief Justice Shepard also gave the example of a judge in one court not knowing the accused drunk driver before him may have three prior cases against them, in the next county over.

The ultimate goal is to have all the courts connected which could take as long as five years. The information is open to the public and access is free just click here.

To call up cases by number, name or attorneys click here.