SUNBURY – A new system to improve efficiency in the Northumberland County courthouse is up and running. Prothonotary Justin Dunkelberger says document processing, retrieval and filing is moving into the 21st century with a new program from Cott Systems of Columbus, Ohio, “What I wanted was the best of what we did previously with our old software and the technological changes that have happened in the last eight years.”
The first phase of the rollout is internal to the prothonotary’s office and allows for more efficient processing and filing. The second step which Dunkelberger hopes to initiate in early summer will allow for an online document search. He says it will save time for everyone, “That would save us a lot of time because A) we’re not answering the phone B) we’re not looking it up C) we’re not printing it out and sending it to you. You’re getting it right off the internet at home.”
Electronic filing of case documents is the final phase. The initial idea was to charge $1,500 annually for attorneys to file electronically. After further research, that plan has changed, “That was where my mind was at, I was wrong and so I made changes. And the changes I made is I cut that annual fee by two-thirds. The annual fee that I’m thinking about now is $500 for the year.”
A single electronic filing would cost $10. Dunkelberger says the $72,000 contract includes three years of offsite storage that will allow the prothonotary’s office to function from anywhere in the event of a disaster. (Jennifer Wakeman)
