5 questions
Paul Mathias
The Indiana Supreme Court’s efforts to develop a statewide computer system linking all local courts have been in the news lately. Editorial Page Editor Tracy Warner spoke with Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Paul Mathias, a member of the Judicial Technology and Automation Committee, or JTAC, about the system. To hear the entire interview, go to The Journal Gazette’s home page at www.journa1gazette.net, click “opinion,” then click “5 questions for Paul Mathias.”
1What is the Odyssey computer system?
(It’s) a case management system that allows Indiana courts and law enforcement to communicate in a better and centralized fashion to improve the public safety of Hoosiers.
2The New Haven City Court just connected to the system. What will that mean for that court and people in New Haven?
The first thing that it means is easy access to court records. … It really also means a more efficient court system for the folks in New Haven where people don’t have to enter the information over and over again. Once it’s entered electronically by the arresting officer, it immediately becomes a court record that’s available for the general public to see and for the court to use.
3The program is about 7 years old now, and many courts are still not connected. Why is that?
Good and complex things take time. Along the way, it’s important to realize that Odyssey is just one part of what JTAC has been doing. … The way that we electronically communicate to send current driver’s license information to the department of motor vehicles in and of itself saves tens of millions of dollars of federal highway funds each year … the resources that are available to courts and to prosecutors and to public defenders to help them do their jobs better, such as the best in electronic research, and training to use all the technology that we provide.
4When do you think the Allen County court system will be connected?
Sometime in 2010. The issue here is that JTAC has limited resources to roll out these systems in counties, and as soon as we finish with our current rollout in Hamilton County, I think that JTAC will turn its attention and focus upon Allen County, which has a very significant court system in terms of size that is important to include in the statewide system.
5You’re a former Allen County Superior Court judge now working in Indianapolis. What do you miss most about Fort Wayne?
I miss the people. This is still home to me. I enjoy coming back here. I miss the simple things that a lot of folks do around here. I miss places like Coney Island. I miss just the ability to move and see and do things a little bit quicker here than I can in the Indianapolis area.
