Justices Release CMS Update

To:Indiana Judges and Clerks
From:  Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard and Associate Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr.
Date:February 14, 2006
Re: CMS Update

We write to report to you about new developments in Indiana’s judicial case management system (CMS) project which have transpired since we last wrote you about this matter on October 24, 2005.

In order to determine the best way to proceed following the disappointing termination of our contract with our prior vendor last September, the Supreme Court decided first to gather information on developments in case management systems since the 2002 procurement.  Staff from the Court’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC) hosted a day-long briefing by the National Center for State Courts’ technology expert.  The JTAC staff then invited eight trial court case management system vendors to respond to a technology and business questionnaire and make day-long presentations to JTAC members, staff, and other stakeholders during late November and early December.

Based on this information, our staff, the members of JTAC, our CMS Executive Committee, our Statewide Governing Board, and the two of us came to three conclusions. 

First, we were of the view that the original vision adopted by the Supreme Court and JTAC – to provide all Indiana courts with a 21st century case management system that connect each court’s system with the others’ and with those who need and use court information – is sound.  We believe it will provide more efficient and effective courts, savings for taxpayers, and improved law enforcement. 

Second, at the time of the original procurement in 2002, only our prior vendor, Computer Associates (CA), had proposed a statewide case management system connected from a central data center over a high-speed network to local courts.  It was this feature of the CA proposal that was most attractive to our Court and other stakeholders who assisted in the original procurement like the clerks’ association and Marion County.  In the intervening three years, all of the national vendors who made presentations had at least moved in this direction. The fact that the national vendors had adopted the same approach – a statewide case management system connected from a central data center over a high-speed network to local courts – as our Court had originally envisioned for the Indiana case management system validated the original vision in our minds.

Third, in order to continue to pursue this vision, we were of the view that the JTAC staff should prepare to solicit proposals for a case management system.  The proposal solicitation (which we call a PNCO – Public Notice of Contracting Opportunity) should utilize the knowledge gained in the work with CA (including the detailed system requirements) but not be so prescriptive as to prohibit vendor creativity in their proposals.

Prior to issuing a new PNCO, the two of us were mindful of the need to solicit support for this approach and review the details to the degree appropriate with key project stakeholders, in particular (a) relevant leaders in the Executive branch of State Government, (b) relevant leaders in the Legislative branch of state government, (c) county clerks and their statewide association, and (d) Indiana trial court judges.  These discussions have now taken place and form a large part of the basis for our decision to proceed.

Today, our Division of State Court Administration has published a Public Notice of Contracting Opportunity (PNCO) to procure a CMS that will connect our courts with each other and with those who need court information. If you would like to view the full announcement, click here:  http://www.in.gov/judiciary/press/2006/0213.html.

Responses to the PNCO are due March 15th, and a review process will begin immediately.  We look forward to that process and are confident that we will have many vendors interested in the CMS project, some of whom may have very different approaches, and all of which we will consider.

The review process will be extensive and will be conducted by technical specialists and many prospective users.  We envision the selection of a small number of finalists whose products will be checked further during lengthy demonstrations which we anticipate will take place during May.  At the conclusion of this process, a preferred vendor will be proposed to the Supreme Court, and the Court will make the ultimate selection.

To a large extent the time line for the ultimate selection of a CMS will depend on the number of proposals.  Although it is still premature for us to venture a definite date, we believe that a CMS may be selected by the fall of 2006.  Once the selection is made, we anticipate that another 8-12 months would be needed for us to configure the CMS.

If you are contemplating using the statewide CMS, we are cognizant that some of you may have to make hardware decisions before our process is complete.  To assist you in making those decisions and making appropriate budget plans, here is a link for suggested minimum specifications for any new PC purchases: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/jtac/cms/pc-specs.html or please feel free to contact Andy Cain at acain@jtac.in.gov or 317-234-3716.  We will continue to update this information on our website as it becomes available throughout the PNCO process.

Also, our staff will be contacting individually all the counties that had already expressed an interest under the prior CMS project and had signed a Memorandum of Understanding  (MOU) to reassess your current interest and needs.

This is a task of unprecedented complexity and breadth not only for our courts and clerks but for the state of Indiana.  Since we began this work in 2002, many states have begun to blaze the same trail that we are, implementing systems that connect their courts with each other and state agencies. This has reassured us that our original vision is valid and worth pursuing.  Your input and interest will continue to be critical in this process as we implement a system that will serve all our citizens.   If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Mary DePrez at mdeprez@jtac.in.gov. 

Randall T. Shepard, Chief Justice of Indiana     

Frank Sullivan Jr. Justice, Indiana Supreme Court and Chairman, Judicial Technology and\Automation Committee

(Letter forwarded to Gopopai.org by Linda Brady, District 7)

©2014 POPAI
Questions? E-mail Website Administrator
Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana, Inc.
P.O. Box 44148
Indianapolis, IN 46244