Opinion: A lot's been done at the clerk of courts and there's more to come
As Fall begins, our office recently announced the implementation of our redaction initiative in a major leap forward for public transparency in our justice system. This project allows the public to view more case documents than ever before and is a culmination of our office’s work in 2022 − and this is just the beginning.
When I was sworn in as Clerk of Courts on Dec. 29, 2021, I immediately set about hearing from our employees and the public about what was working and what we could do better. These discussions informed my goals from day one. Since that day, I have been working to innovate to make our services more efficient, increase access to justice, improve transparency and ensure that our office reflects the diversity of Hamilton County.
In just 10 months, our team has worked with the community leaders to make the experience of coming to court better for our most vulnerable populations by:
Partnering with YWCA and Women Helping Women to improve services for survivors at the courthouse which resulted in:
A new streamlined process for citizens to apply for civil protection orders (also referred to as stalking or restraining orders) through an online system making it more time-saving and cost-effective for police officers out in the field and for judges handling these types of cases.
A new partnership that makes translation services in over 100 languages more available, as well as a victim advocate, for people who need to file a restraining order.
New training tailored toward Clerk of Courts staff on trauma-informed best practices for working with survivors of domestic violence.
Signing a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Auto Title & Passport Division Employees.
Enacting a new policy for evictions older than three years where the judgments have been satisfied to be removed from the Clerk of Courts online search ensuring easier access to rent applications for tenants while balancing the ability for landlords to screen potential tenants − people deserve a second chance.
Partnering with the Cincinnati Museum Center, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to ensure best practices in archiving and preservation of historic court documents.
Protecting the public from scams that look like they are coming from the Clerk’s office via spoofed phone calls or email phishing.
Launching a digitized index of historical court records, making it easier to access records that date back to the 1800s.
Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Hamilton County Municipal Court Help Center by convening nearly 100 local stakeholders, national, state, and local experts, around the topic of access to justice at the UC College of Law.
Continually meeting with constituents, magistrates, judges, and nonprofits who work with vulnerable communities to learn their feedback about the court system and the courthouse.
We have accomplished much, and we have much left to do. I am excited about our upcoming initiatives, including further partnering with the UC College of Law to expand our Help Center and add a full-time social worker, implementing a texting program to reduce the number of people who fail to appear in court, and more ways we can increase access to justice in Hamilton County.
If you have to come to the courthouse, chances are you are having a bad day − you are either accused of doing something bad or something bad has happened to you. When you come here, the staff of the Clerk of Courts are some of the first people you meet as you begin to navigate the complex processes in this building. But we are here to serve you, and look forward to continuing to improve your experience at the courthouse, so that everyone who comes into this building is treated with dignity and respect.
Pavan V. Parikh is the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. He was appointed on December 29, 2021 to succeed Aftab Pureval.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: A lot's been done at the clerk of courts and there's more to come
