The process of community-focused planning has opened a new dialogue between the court and the community. The court will continue to seek community feedback to reach the goals of it's strategic plan. Following are seven issues that emerged as a result of the community outreach team meetings. These are now the foundation on which the court's strategic plan is built.

• Provision of Access

The court is responsible for bringing the administration of justice to the public and making court facilities accessible to all. A trial court may be accessible and still hinder opportunities for the effective participation of all whom appear before the court, including those with linguistic difficulties, physical disabilities and economic barriers.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to expand access to all sectors of the community.

• Dispute Resolution

A unified family court division with comprehensive jurisdiction over all cases involving children and relating to the family will result in a system that is more efficient and more compassionate for families in crisis. Under the Family Court, judicial resources, court processes and social services are coordinated to produce a resolution tailored to the individual family's legal, personal, emotional and social needs.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to establish a unified Family Court.

• Community Outreach and Education

The court seeks to enhance public awareness of the judicial system, both criminal and civil, including the role of judges, lawyers, jurors and court staff. A better understanding of the court is essential in Ventura County to keep the system responsive to the diverse needs of the community.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to provide more information about the judicial system in Ventura County and tailor outreach programs based on the needs of diverse communities.

• Enabling Technology

The astounding speed at which technology moves makes it challenging to maintain automation that enables the court to process and manage cases. The court also faces challenges to provide the most advanced technologies which the public is accustomed to using. These technologies should be used to allow access to court records and dispense information to enhance the public's understanding of the judicial system.

The court's strategic plan includes goals to:

a) Design and implement a case management system to process general civil, small
claims, juvenile, dependency, family law and probate utilizing the technology
framework established by the Ventura County Integrated Justice Information System.
b) Install document imaging technology for all court records
c) Implement electronic filing of civil and criminal cases
d) Ensure protection of confidential data while protecting the right to view public records; and
e) Implement a restraining order database in Ventura County.

• Jury Management

Jury service is of vital importance to the judicial system. In order to maintain the integrity of this system, jurors must be willing to report for duty. Many do not accept this civic duty. The court must actively promote the benefits of jury service.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to actively promote and improve the jury system to achieve an overall response and jury yield in line with national standards.

• Case Management

Courts play a pivotal role at the crossroads of legal processes and social service interventions. Effective case coordination systems are essential to avoid fragmentation of services and misallocation of judicial resources. The existence of multiple cases filed in courts with overlapping jurisdictions often results in conflicting court orders and duplicative services that ultimately can exacerbate existing problems as well as create new ones.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to design a coordinated system to avoid fragmented services to litigants and the inefficient use of judicial resources.

• Records Management and Preservation

Preserving and managing court records to make them available within the justice system as well as to the public enhances the trust between the community and court system. The integrity of all records in the possession of the court must be preserved in accordance with prescribed statutes.

The court's strategic plan includes a goal to provide access to court documents on the Internet.

  Community Outreach
  Community Outreach Team
  Community Outreach Survey
  California Judicial Council Strategic Plan
  The Judicial Branch of Government