By Jean A. Flanagan
Moorefield Examiner
For the past six years, the Hardy County Circuit Clerk’s Office has been keeping two sets of files – one paper and one electronic.
“We have been scanning since 2011,” Circuit Clerk Kim Hartman said. Every document that comes to this office is scanned into the electronic file before it goes to the paper files.”
“With the electronic system installed last week, the paper files will become a thing of the past. We are the 7th county in the state to go live,” Hartman said.
In the past, judges, attorneys and clients have brought paperwork, orders, motions, decrees, reports and restitution to the Circuit Clerk’s office. Now all of that will be done electronically.
“Attorneys will now upload or e-file their lawsuits and motions,” Hartman said. They will pay their filing fees with a credit card.”
“If the judge issues an order, it will come to us by email. If the attorneys have an email address on file, it will go directly to them. If the parties involved in the order have an email on file, it will automatically go to them as well. Information that is to go to the Probation Office will go electronically.”
Hartman said the Circuit Clerk’s office still must read the orders from the judge to determine what, if any, action is required by their office.
“If the parties don t have an email, we still have to print the order and sent it certified, return receipt requested,” she said.
Clients ordered to pay restitution or court costs must do so by money order.
“If it’s restitution, we enter the amount into the file, which deducts the payment from the balance and send the money order directly to the victim,” Hartman said. “We don t write any more checks.”
Since court documents are open to the public, there will be a public computer terminal shortly and instructions on how to access files.
You can search by case num- ber of name, Hartman said. But you will only be able to see what you re allowed to see.
“Some files or parts of files are sealed. Juvenile criminal cases, abuse and neglect, divorce testimony and child custody cases are not open to the public. The judge creates an order to seal the files and we seal them,” Hartman said.
The cost savings in both time and material is amazing.
“We went from five to eight steps for every document to two steps, Hartman said. The old system costs us $6,000 per year for the software. This system belongs to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. It doesn t cost the county anything.”
While there will still be some postage costs, the amount, Hartman projects, will be about a third of previous amounts.
The cost savings in paper will be beyond belief, she said.
“One of the file folders we use for case files cost $2.50 each.”
Hartman said the Circuit Clerk’s office personnel are ready, able and willing to help those who are not computer savvy find what they need.
She also reiterated that sealed files will not be accessible to the public.
“Some people don t do well with change,” she said. “Technology is here. The savings to the taxpayers of Hardy County will be incredible.”
