CYA by Appointing a Committee?

A while ago, I commented on the criticisms of a number of California's Judges with respect to the Association of Courts and the Judicial Council's rather expensive endeavor to centralize California's court system via computer.

Prior to writing this article, I sat next to a woman who was flying from Hawaii to California in order to work on glitches in the system. During our five hour flight, she shared with me that she, on an almost weekly basis, flew back and forth to work on the new system. I again, thought about all the money that was being spent on this new system that remained basically, inoperable with few exceptions.

I found it very interesting to note by the press release below that the newly appointed Chief Justice acted quickly in an apparent attempt to stem the criticisms of a large number of the judiciary by appointing a committee to oversee the now over-budget and failing California court centralized computer system operations. I suppose when met with dissension it is prudent to hand over the reins to the those who would object and perhaps even to "shift the blame."

In any event, it will be a lark to learn of the findings of the new committee. We at ALDAP will keep you informed.

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Chief Justice Appoints New Judicial Council Internal Committee to Oversee Case Management System

San Francisco—Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye today announced the appointment of a new Judicial Council internal committee that will oversee the council’s policies on the California Court Case Management System (CCMS). It will also oversee the council’s recently established CCMS governance and advisory committees.

“The new committee will be responsible for ensuring that council policies are complied with and the project proceeds on schedule and within budget,” said Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye. “This oversight committee and the new governance structure of CCMS will help ensure that the case management system will bring court technology into the 21st century and deliver great benefits to the justice community and the public.”

“This new internal committee will ensure that the Judicial Council is not only kept informed and up-to-date on the case management system, but that the deployment of CCMS is completed in a way that is consistent with the policies and priorities established by the council,” said William C. Vickrey, Administrative Director of the Courts. “This reflects the importance of CCMS and provides the council with the time and attention that this project merits for the next 5 to 10 years.”

The 10-member committee will seek reports and recommendations from the CCMS Executive Committee and the Administrative Director of the Courts and will ensure that reports to the council are clear, comprehensive, and provide relevant options so that the council can make effective final policies about CCMS. The committee will advise the council on CCMS policy decisions and report on CCMS at Judicial Council business meetings, which are open to the public. Like other internal council committees, the panel will be made up of Judicial Council members, as follows:


• Chair: Judge James E. Herman of the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County;
• Vice-chair: Assistant Presiding Judge Ira R. Kaufman of the Superior Court of Plumas County; Associate Justice Harry E. Hull, Jr., of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District (Sacramento);
• Assistant Presiding Judge David S. Wesley of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County;
• Judge Stephen H. Baker of the Superior Court of Shasta County;
• Judge Teri L. Jackson of the Superior Court of San Francisco County; an advisory member of the council;
• Ms. Edith R. Matthai, an attorney who practices law in Los Angeles;
• Mr. James N. Penrod, an attorney who practices law in San Francisco;
• Mr. Michael M. Roddy, court executive officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County, an advisory member of the council; and
• Ms. Kim Turner, court executive officer of the Superior Court of Marin County, an advisory member of the council.

The new committee will make its first report on CCMS at the next business meeting of the Judicial Council on Friday, April 29.

CCMS is an integrated court and case management system designed to eventually support trial courts of all sizes on a statewide level. Its development was triggered by the actions and business demands of superior courts that found themselves with failing or inadequate case management systems that needed replacement in order for courts to continue operations.

Earlier this year, a new governance structure was established for CCMS. That structure is overseen by the Judicial Council’s CCMS Governance Executive Committee, chaired by Associate Justice Terence L. Bruiniers of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District (San Francisco).