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CLEAR Temp: 74 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, July 18, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 16, 2003 New computers after court cuts raise eyebrows By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Employees at county courthouses statewide are questioning the purchase of $1.2 million in computers at a time when budget cuts have forced staff to take pay cuts and courts to reduce hours. The 675 computers and a smattering of printers began showing up at courthouses across Oregon this month. The new technology’s arrival comes after courthouse workers statewide lost 10 percent of their pay for four months, from March through June, to cover cuts to the state’s judicial system. Court administrators stopped hearing misdemeanor cases and closed courthouse doors on Fridays during that period. Before March, court officials had eliminated some jobs and refrained from filling others. Courts statewide lost about 30 percent of their staffing in 2002, said Bradd Swank, special counsel for the state court administrator. Advertisement In Jackson County, two of the approximately 70 employees at the Circuit Court lost their jobs last year, said Jim Adams, administrator of Jackson County Circuit Court. Several others retired or resigned, he said. Jackson County’s court received nearly 30 new computers this month, Adams said. While he admits that the upgrade was necessary, the timing wasn’t exactly opportune. "I was concerned both about legislative and public perception," Adams said. "From a business standpoint, it’s defensible and acceptable. We were in jeopardy of actually losing our database." State officials had planned to buy computers to prepare for a Legislature-mandated overhaul of how the state courts enter judgments and other information, Adams said. Newer computers were needed to handle the software. The improvements allow court staff to enter information directly into a computerized Uniform Criminal Judgment system, eliminating a data-entry phase. The system is to be operating by summer 2005. Court officials became aware of the need for a more sophisticated records system because clerical staff spent too much time deciphering and transcribing judges’ handwritten notes, Adams said. Jackson County developed its own software in 1996 to streamline the data-entry process, Adams said. That project served as a model for the rest of the state, he added. Officials made the decision to buy the new computers in May, when it became clear the Legislature would not make further cuts, Swank said. Cost-saving measures taken in the previous biennium, in addition to recent retirements and resignations from Oregon’s courts, allowed the state to purchase new computers, he said. The money could not have been used to spare positions because jobs and pay already had been cut, Swank said. "It wasn’t something that could have been backfilled," Swank said. Dipping income tax receipts forced the Legislature to cut $21.4 million from statewide court operations, $13.6 million of it in the final four months of the budget year. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times