Customer Success StoryClark County Courts use ePrint in Video Arraignment SystemDistrict, Superior and Juvenile Courts: Vancouver, WA

Clark County Court System uses ePrint in creation of new paperless court house video arraignment solution.

the Situation:

Before October 2004, the proceedings for arraignment required a number of Sheriff deputies to transport in-custody defendants from the Jail to the County Courthouse. They would line up inside a court room, in restraints, awaiting their turn with the Judge. The clerks prepared multi-sheet documents by hand with the outcome of the hearing. Both the Judge and defendant would sign the documents. A copy was given to the defendant and the other copies would be distributed later when court ended.

The idea behind the new video arraigment system was to create a "paperless" process. A new Video Arraignment unit was constructed within the Jail. This allowed in-custody defendants to move from cells to Video Arraignment holding area for their appearance before the Judge. Then, District Court created forms with Adobe Acrobat Writer that allowed the clerk to enter the necessary data with a few clicks of the mouse. The document would need to be sent to the Jail Video Arraignment staging area for the defendant to sign. Corrections needed a copy, Records needed a copy and the clerk needed a copy.

the Solution:

Our Information services department researched and discovered ePrint. It would allow the clerk to click one button within the PDF form to print. ePrint would take over distributing the document to a list of email recipients in corrections and the public defenders office.

Not only were we able to easily send the documents to multiple email recipients, but in the same click we could route the print job to four printers in different locations - One in Jail Records, one in the Video Arraignment deputies station, one in the court house and another in corrections. A copy was also saved in PDF form to the server for archiving and easy retrieval. The two copies printed at the deputies station were taken into the Booth where the defendant could read them and sign them. This was recorded digitally as part of the record. The copy sent to Jail Records was picked up and the conditions entered into their system to expedite the defendants release from custody. Corrections received their copies for filing. Those who needed the documents had them available by email or network location.

"LEADTOOLS ePrint has been instrumental in making the new Video Arraignment system work, simplifying the printing process for our clerks in an already hectic and high pressure day," said Ann Wendland, Senior Technical Support Specialist.

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