Oakland County, Michigan, September 1, 2009 -- The Oakland County Circuit Court bench and Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson today marked the second anniversary of the county's eFiling service, an award-winning program that has saved a stack of paper nine stories tall.

"Oakland County's eFiling program is not just environmentally responsible, it has allowed us to become more efficient and provide better, more convenient service to the legal community and the public," said Johnson. She noted that the county's eFiling program recently earned a 2009 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties as one of the most innovative programs in the country.

When it began two years ago, the program was believed to be the first of its kind in the state. In eFiling cases, attorneys must file and serve documents electronically, creating virtually paperless court cases.

 "It took real cooperation between our office, the Circuit Court bench and Information Technology to make this happen," Johnson said. The program, which began with a single judge - Circuit Judge Michael Warren - has since expanded to a total of six judges including Chief Judge Wendy Potts, Judge Mark Goldsmith, Judge Rudy Nichols, Judge Lisa Gorcyca and Judge Colleen O'Brien. To date, there are nearly 6,000 registered users from more than 2,000 law firms. Nearly 70,000 filings  - an average of four pages each - have been electronically filed.

"Chief Judge Wendy Potts and our Circuit Court judges have made eFiling a success and we appreciate working with them to make eFiling a reality," said Johnson, who presented each judge who utilizes eFiling with a small memento.

Potts noted that the Oakland County Circuit Court has been a leader in putting technology to work.
"We are so pleased at the success of eFiling and have watched this cutting-edge program grow and expand."

While eFiling technology had been utilized in federal court and in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Oakland County was the first to venture so deeply into the eFiling arena by partnering with the Florida-based Wiznet, Inc. which provides the Internet-based eFiling system. Attorneys pay a small convenience fee, to cover costs, to file and serve documents electronically. The majority of civil case types are included in the program, including negligence, medical malpractice, personal injury, labor relations and contract dispute cases.

"The eFiling Program not only has the potential to provide cost savings for the county, but ultimately aids attorneys in the practice of law by eliminating the need to drive to the courthouse to file in person, saves in staff time, and is far more friendly to the environment," said Oakland County Bar Association President Kurt Schnelz.

Prior to the launch of eFiling at the Oakland County Circuit Court, all documents were filed in a traditional manner. Attorneys or their representatives would drive to the courthouse and wait in line at the Clerk's Office. At the counter, clerks would accept legal filings and required fees. Documents would be scanned into the system and paper copies were used as cases moved forward. On hearing days, boxes of legal documents would be picked up from the Clerk's Office and delivered, by hand, to individual members of the bench.