The Clarion County commissioners learned this week they might face an unexpected $200,000 expense – one which every county in the state could also face.
The added expense is the result of the state’s inability to fund the Common Pleas Case Management System (CPCMS).
Developed by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), the CPCMS is a “comprehensive, statewide system of criminal case records. CPCMS allows counties to access the full breadth of court docket information for the entire state,” according to the CPCMS website.
“The money has been diverted over the past few years and it is not there. We rely on this computer program daily in our courts and our probation department and District Attorney’s Office. It is used in every county in the state.”
Therefore, unless the funding is restored, the impact could be felt across the state.
“This will be a major impact on the prothonotary’s office in every county. This will have a major impact in every department in the criminal justice system,” Seidle-Patton said.
“If the money is not restored, we will have to find the money locally.”
The judge estimated the cost to the county would be about $200,000 for the software alone.
“Each county is going to have to find its own solution to running their case management,” Seidle-Patton said. “This will not only be at a significant cost to each county, but also somewhat of a nightmare to transfer all of that information from CPCMS to some other system.”
She said if the funding is not restored in this budget, the county would have about 15 months to make the change.
The commissioners signed a letter of support for the restoration of funds to the CPCMS.
“We support the restoration of that money because (the state) collected the money for this program and then used it somewhere else,” Clarion County Commissioner Ted Tharan said.
Courtroom facelift
In other business at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, the panel unanimously accepted the sole bid for renovations to Courtroom One at the courthouse.
Sauder Courtroom Furniture of Ohio submitted a bid of $94,187.
“We have been working with Sauder for the past several months,” Seidle-Patton said. “They have helped us make decisions to ensure that this project will really last. This is something that is really needed.”
The project includes construction and installation of new seating, a jury box and witness stand for the courtroom.
“People had to step up into it and it was narrow. I was concerned people would fall. The new one will be lower and wider,” she said.
Tharan said there would also be a railing between the benches and attorneys.
Funding for the project will come from the county’s general fund and court finds.
In January, the commissioners approved a contract with Meley Engineering Corporation for the design of Courtroom One.
Additional improvements to the courthouse are planned as the telecommunications system will be enhanced and the sound system in the courtroom will be improved.
A women’s rest room will also be installed and the current men’s room moved. The new restrooms will be to the right and left of the courtroom entrance.
The project is set to begin in August. New carpet and painting will be finished before the installation of the new furniture will begin.