While the City-County Building is outdated in many ways, the system connecting its four courtrooms are high tech.

Beginning Feb. 17, the courts will be connected to a statewide court and clerk management system called Odyssey. Floyd County is one of only eight in the state to be connected to the system.

“It’s the inauguration of 21st century computer technology in the courts of Floyd County,” said Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. on Thursday afternoon, as he celebrated the accomplishment in Floyd County Circuit Court.

Sullivan is the chair of the Judicial Technology and Automation Committee, known as JTAC, and was the driving force behind the development of Odyssey.

“Floyd County will be the fifth county on the system and the first in Southern Indiana,” Sullivan said.

Floyd County will join Monroe, Tipton, Warren and DeKalb counties and Washington, Center and Franklin townships on the system.

Floyd County’s new court, Superior Court No. 3, joined the system Jan. 5 when it opened. The JTAC team began training the court staffs in December.

“I knew it would come eventually. But I can’t believe this day is here,” said Floyd County Circuit Court Judge Terry Cody. “This will really help the general public access information over the Internet.”

Sullivan said Cody and former state Rep. Bill Cochran were instrumental in pushing for Floyd County to be included as one of the eight pilot counties. He also singled out County Clerk Linda Moeller for her “hard work” in getting the system implemented.

“It would not be incorrect to state that Rep. Cochran and Judge Cody lobbied hard for this,” Sullivan said. “They made a compelling case that the existing technology in the courts needed to be upgraded. And we wanted to do something in the southern part of the state.”

The goal of the system is to eventually connect all 92 counties to the system. Courts connected to the system will be able to view information about marriage licenses, warrants, and protective orders will be accessible to law enforcement. Electronic traffic tickets also will be used in the system. A lot of the information will be available to the public, but some will be protected.

All the data from the courts since 1985 has been transferred to the new system, and the state will be responsible for maintenance and upgrade costs.

Sullivan said he hopes Clark and Harrison counties will join the new system in 2010.



SO YOU KNOW

• Floyd County is one of only eight in the state to be connected to Odyssey. Others include Monroe, Tipton, Warren and DeKalb counties, as well as Washington, Center and Franklin townships.