Marion County Circuit Clerk Tiffany Schicker has been awarded another $81,000 grant to continue to improve technology for the court system. The newest grant is on top of two other $25,000 grants awarded for other improvements during COVID-19 to strengthen the court system to operate with zoom hearings.
Schicker is awaiting the arrival of the check for the Technology Modernization Grant.
“That will include new computers for the judges’ benches and monitors also new computers for the judge’s chambers. It will include a new copier for my office and an additional copier for the legal self-help center. We were also able to procure laptops for the courtrooms, the sheriff’s department and the state’s attorney’s office, some additional printers for the benches in those courtrooms.”
Schicker says the grant will also provide Microsoft surface hubs for the circuit clerk’s office, probation, and the jury room as well as some Google Doorbells for the probation office. She told the county board this week with all the new technology they are experiencing slow internet speeds or some computers completely freezing in the third story courtroom and judges chamber office.
“We want to make sure that we have the appropriate amount of internet to run all this technology and then of course we will have to phase out installation and possibly some additional training on new technology coming in.”
County Building Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engel agreed the internet problem needs to be looked at for possible improvements with either the current provider or others that may be able to offer a better product.
Schicker says one part of her grant request that was rejected was to allow the sheriff’s department to develop an app that among other things would have allowed the public to see who is being held in the Marion County Jail.
