The Hamilton County Courts and Clerk’s office is using a new 21st century computer system provided by the Indiana Supreme Court. The system, known as “Odyssey” connects the Hamilton County Courts and Clerk to a continually growing network of other county courts, clerks, law enforcement and state agencies. Odyssey also makes court information available to the public over the internet at no charge.
Hamilton Superior Court Judge William J. Hughes, Hamilton County Clerk Peggy Beaver, Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr., and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard will answer questions about the system and explain why Odyssey is an improvement for court staff, law enforcement, and taxpayers.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH
10:00 a.m. EDT
Hamilton County Historic Courthouse, 2nd floor
33 North 9th Street,
Noblesville, Indiana 46060
With Odyssey, the estimated 46,000 new cases filed in Hamilton County each year will be managed by a state of the art computer system. Judge Hughes explained, “Having Odyssey installed in Hamilton County is one of the best business decisions we have ever made for our taxpayers. It will allow us to more efficiently manage the courts.” Hamilton County Clerk Peggy Beaver also believes the new system will improve operations in her office. She said, “Odyssey will allow us to accurately collect and distribute over 5 million dollars that the Clerk’s office collects each year. Odyssey provides a sophisticated financial package that will allow us to balance our accounts to the penny.”
Odyssey was first installed in ten Indiana courts on a pilot basis in December 2007 under the direction of the Division of State Court Administration’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC). It is part of the Court’s effort to equip every Indiana court with a 21st-century case management system and connect courts with each other and state agencies. Justice Sullivan, who leads JTAC, explained “Odyssey is an example of technology’s ability to help guide our state’s court system forward to meet increasing demands when dollars are scarce.”
Courts pay no installation costs, training costs, license fees, or annual maintenance costs for Odyssey. Those costs are paid by JTAC from the proceeds of a court filing fee dedicated to the project by the General Assembly. Chief Justice Shepard saluted the partnerships formed to make the project possible. “The Legislative and Executive branches have allowed us to bring this 21st century technology to Hamilton County,” explained Chief Justice Shepard. “Odyssey has numerous advantages for courts, police and the public. It is designed to save taxpayer money by reducing paperwork and eliminating multiple data entries.”
Odyssey By The Numbers
- Odyssey is operating in 39 Indiana courts in 13 counties
- Approximately 20% of all the new cases filed in Indiana are on Odyssey
- The busiest court in the state, Marion Superior Criminal 13 or “traffic court” uses Odyssey
- Odyssey collected $6.25 million through automated payment systems in seven months operating in Marion Traffic Court
- 174,225 traffic cases have been sent electronically to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles through Odyssey
- 5 counties used typewriters and/or scroll books to manage court records before Odyssey
- 23 different court record management systems currently exist statewide and these systems do not communicate with each other
- Indiana invested $7.7 million in the statewide licensing for Odyssey
- There is zero cost to get information on cases in Odyssey at courts.IN.gov
Odyssey is designed to be implemented statewide. It is being installed without disrupting everyday court business or closing Indiana courts. It complies with all requirements imposed by the Legislature, Board of Accounts, and Supreme Court. The Indiana Supreme Court recently received two prestigious national technology and safety awards, in part because of Odyssey’s accomplishments. The Court shares the Best Practices Award by the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award with its partners in the Legislative and Executive branches, including the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, the Indiana Office of Technology, the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the Indiana State Police.
