Highland County Common Pleas Judge Rocky Coss serves as chairperson of ICOURT.

Highland County Common Pleas Judge Rocky Coss serves as chairperson of ICOURT.

As a result of COVID-19, remote technology in Ohio courts is becoming the “new normal.”

But how will the technology in courts evolve? How should it evolve? What works, and what doesn’t?

A survey to find out how remote technology is being used statewide has been launched by Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor’s Task Force on Improving Court Operations Using Remote Technology – iCOURT for short.

The brief survey is being sent to lawyers, judges, retired assigned judges, magistrates, court administrators, clerks, probation officers, court reporters, interpreters, mediators, guardians ad litem (GALs), victim advocates, and litigants.

The task force includes 25 Ohio judges, attorneys, prosecutors, and court staff.

“The survey is a critical part of the foundation of the work of the task force,” said Highland County Common Pleas Judge Rocky Coss, the Icourt chairperson.

“The results will be an important part of what could lead to recommendations for an unprecedented transformation of how Ohio’s courts operate not only during the pandemic but once it has subsided,” Judge Coss said.

“I urge all of those who have received an email requesting them to answer the survey do so as quickly as possible and to encourage other stakeholders to access and complete the survey as well,” he said.

Justice R. Patrick DeWine serves as the task force’s liaison.

“I am excited to be a part of the iCOURT task force,” Justice DeWine said. “This is a real opportunity to improve our justice system in Ohio. By being smart about the use of technology, we can improve the efficiency of our court system, reduce costs for litigants, and increase access to justice.”

The task force will issue findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court by June 2021.

Questions about iCOURT and the survey can be emailed to iCOURTSurvey@sc.ohio.gov.