HONORABLE MENTION
Mobility and Justice for All

An independent judiciary finds digital pens are a secure way to ensure quick and reliable data entry.

U.S. Courts is an independent, national judiciary. U.S. Courts’ Western District of Texas (Eddy, Texas) needed to find a mobile solution that would speed up the processing and sharing of data that was documented on paper by court officers, who frequently collected case information outside of the court (such as in correctional facilities), while also continuing the simplicity, standard practice, and safety of using paper forms in the field.

The court wanted a low error rate, minimal training, zero disruptions to the existing mobile process, and unobtrusive use.

It opted for digital pen technology, using Capturx Forms from Excel software and Capturx for SharePoint Server software, both from Adapx; Bluetooth-enabled Anoto Digital Pens and paper; BlackBerry handhelds; and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.

Why did it select Adapx and Anoto as the primary vendors? “During the selection process, we were very careful to make sure that, once we committed to a particular vendor, they would be around to provide us with the support we needed,” explains Phil Reyna, former chief of pretrial services (retired). “We knew from the start that using this technology was a gamble, but I felt that Adapx, in conjunction with the Anoto digital pen technology, would be with us for the long haul.”

The time required to process one offender has decreased from 3-4 hours to less than one hour. Once information is collected, it can be made immediately available to all collaborating agencies via a common access to the server and PACTS (Pretrial Services Automated Cases Tracking System).

How have users reacted? “Most, if not all, of the end users were and continue to be excited about this type of technology,” says Reyna.

http://mobileenterprise.edgl.com/top-stories/2011-Best-In-Field-Service76702