Judicial IT gaps: AOC urges restoration of JIS funding and modernization of legacy systems

AOC told the inter-branch committee it needs steady IT funding to keep statewide case-management systems operational and to complete a multi-year replacement effort.

"We've gotta get this thing rolled out by 2027," Christopher Stanley said, describing the urgency to modernize an aging case-management system and restore $16.7 million in appropriation authority that he said had been removed in a nonpublic budget version. Stanley warned that without restoring the appropriation, either the case-management maintenance would stop or AOC would exceed appropriation authority, both untenable outcomes for a statewide system.

Why it matters: presenters said local courts rely on vendor updates, interoperability testing and a small data-quality team to reduce errors in statewide criminal and civil records. Without added funding, presenters warned, operations and vendor maintenance risk interruption.

Committee members sought details about the size of the ask and alternatives for phasing investments; AOC said it will lead with appropriators to restore authority and to secure additional modest general-fund support for core JIS operations.