Dueling Audits & Other Issues Raised as Clerk of the Court Emphasizes Progress with Technology

2016 Cook County Proposed Budget:  Clerk of the Circuit Court, October 29, 2015

The 65-page budget presentation provided to the Finance Committee by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Dorothy Brown, may be found under “Meeting Details” for the Finance Committee’s October 29 meeting in the http://cook-county.legistar.com web site.  The Clerk emphasized the progress being made to utilize technology to eliminate paper and to provide faster and more accurate service to judges, attorneys, and the public.  The office has come under criticism for incomplete files, slow service, and the time being taken to roll out electronic filings throughout the court system.  The Clerk stated that all paper documents are now imaged which allows for electronic access in all areas of the law, except minor traffic ticket cases, which should be implemented in 2016.  Currently her office is reviewing responses for a new case management system.  However, only a few questions were raised by the Commissioners with regard to the office’s use of technology.  The Clerk emphasized that the increase in the budget for 2016 is due solely to salary increases for union and non-union employees which have been approved by the County Board.

Dueling Audits

Clerk Brown told the Finance Committee that an independent audit of the financial statements of the Office issued in May of 2015 for fiscal year 2014 showed no concerns.  However, Commissioner Suffredin said that there were a number of concerns raised in the audit done by the County Auditor which the Commissioners had received the day before.  Commissioner Suffredin said that the County Audit stated that no response has been received from the Clerk to the issues raised, which would have been expected.  Clerk Brown said that there were many inaccuracies in the County Audit and she complained that she had never been invited to a conference with the County Auditor, which should be normal procedure.  County Auditor Shelley Banks was asked to respond, and she stated that her office had followed normal procedures and had worked with both the Chief of Staff and the Chief Financial Officer under Clerk Brown; both of these employees had been involved throughout the audit process. Commissioner Suffredin urged Clerk Brown to provide a response to the Auditor quickly prior to the Board’s Audit Committee meeting on this audit. The Commissioner also stated that the Board has full confidence in the County Auditor.

Commissioner Moore asked about the $600,000 being budgeted for overtime.  The Clerk stated that while she tries to utilize shifts to minimize overtime, if a case goes late, the clerk employee must stay.  Commissioner Daley asked when all the court records will be consolidated in the new Cicero storage facility.  The Clerk stated that all records at the Hawthorne facility will be transferred by the end of 2015, while those at Rockwell will be moved in 2016.  The Clerk explained that the Board did not appropriate the money to do the moves sooner.  Commissioner Garcia asked about complaints he has heard as a result of the Sheriff’s office receiving inaccurate or incomplete court records for determining whether someone should be released or retained at the jail.  The Clerk stated the problem was with the Sheriff’s system which needs to be reprogrammed.  [Note: this issue was not raised when the Sheriff appeared before the Finance Committee on November 2.]

-- Priscilla Mims, League Observer