The Initial Challenge
When Denton Municipal Court, presided over by Judge Tyler Atkinson, recognized the need to make their processes more accessible and efficient, they reached out to AdComp Systems. Together, we aimed to find ways to streamline court interactions for both the staff and the citizens.
Crafting Solutions
📱 Immediate Contact
With the shared goal of improving communication, we developed a system to send text message reminders for those with outstanding citations, helping people remember critical obligations.
📘 Clarifying Legal Rights
The importance of making the law understandable cannot be overstated. Together, we built an interactive rights interface that simplifies legal jargon and makes it more accessible.
🤔 Simplifying Decision-Making
The complexities of different offense types, pleas, and personal circumstances often make it difficult for citizens to understand their options. In response, we developed a logic-based platform that customizes options depending on the type of citation and individual circumstances, such as age or driver’s license type.
Enhancing Automation and Flexibility
⏰ Timely Reminders
The introduction of automated text and email reminders helped manage case statuses and due dates without requiring manual intervention from court staff.
💻 Virtual Hearings
For those who need to speak directly to a judge, we’ve enabled virtual courtrooms. A text message with a direct link to the virtual court hearing simplifies the participation process.
💵 Payment Plans
Understanding the financial constraints that many face, the system allows users to select their payment options, ranging from monthly plans to immediate payments.
Outcomes and Insights
After one year, Denton Municipal Court saw a total of 70,000 interactions on the platform, with nearly half of those taking place after normal working hours or over weekends. Moreover, the court achieved an 86% case resolution rate, incorporating online and traditional methods.
Reflecting on the Journey
The collaboration between Justice Smarter and Denton Municipal Court has been one of mutual growth. As the court became more adept at offering online solutions to its citizens, we, too, fine-tuned our technology based on the valuable insights and challenges from this partnership. It’s a living example of how technology and human expertise can come together to serve the public more effectively.