The Georgia Courts Automation Commission has spent $2.4 million in the last five years to study computers and technology that could unify software systems in courts across the state. That would make it easier to track cases, gather data and share information. But the AJC reports the Commission has no real power and the majority of local courts are ignoring its recommendations.
As lawmakers search for $1 billion in budget cuts, some are wondering if the Courts Automation Commission should be abolished. Rep. Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta) says, “This commission is like a study committee gone mad.”
But many judges support the agency and its mission to improve technology. Douglas County Superior Court Judge David Emerson says the work is “desperately needed.”