New System To Improve Court's Convenience

It's something that runs in the background but can make a big impact on those coming in and out of the Minnehaha County courthouse. Over the next week and half, the 2nd circuit will be switching over to a new filing system.         

Starting at noon Thursday, the 2nd Circuit Court, which includes Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties, will transfer what the Circuit Court Administrator Karl Thoennes calls a very large amount of data.

"It will take about 36 hours to move all that data over to the new system.  So we'll lose computer access beginning at noon on Thursday this week," Thoennes said.

It's aimed at making the system more streamlined and easier to use. But right away, it will slow things down.

"The next week we've kept calendars as light as possible because we anticipate the new court staff is going to be slow on the new system as they learn it for the first time in real life," Thoennes.

Thoennes says they now have around eight different systems. One for protection orders, probation, and jury management among others. The new system will bring them all under the same program.

"This brings most of those systems together in one modern, high-performance package. Data entry will be much easier and faster, much more convenient for the public so we hope to step into the 21st Century all at once," Thoennes said.

It will also make it easier for the public to get paperwork through the court system.

"Eventually the system will offer e-filing to attorneys. We’ll do a lot more electronically instead of mailing paper back and forth; we’ll be able to do that electronically. We hope to speed things up for the public,” Thoennes said.

Aberdeen and Brookings have already switched over to the new system. People from those circuits will help with the training.