Anchorage Daily News

PALMER -- A small change at Palmer's courthouse could provide a large measure of relief to assault victims trying to learn an attacker's fate.

Under a new pilot project just getting under way, an extra clerk in the courtroom during hearings will record decisions on jail time or bail and probation conditions immediately, state court officials say.

From there, the public and law enforcement officers will be able to access the information within minutes via an online state database called CourtView (www.courtrecords.alaska.gov).

Now, it can take two weeks to a month before clerks get the chance to enter the outcome of a hearing into the system.

"We often get phone calls from a neighbor or a victim that wants to know what happened," said Teresa Shaw, clerk of court in Palmer. "This will provide that information without them having to come down to the courthouse."

The change is part of a statewide initiative funded last year by legislators called "No Dark Courtrooms," said Christine Johnson, deputy administrative director of the Alaska Court System.

The initiative is part of a larger effort to recruit and retain in-court clerks, a challenge due to the stress of long hours, few breaks and unscheduled overtime, according to a state budget document.

State courts last year requested $2.25 million from the 2008 Legislature, but received only about a quarter of that, Johnson said. So far, the agency has hired eight new employees and upgraded one, but hopes to hire another 13 clerks through an $890,000 request from this year's budget, she said.

At Palmer, an existing clerk was promoted into the new in-court position, Shaw said.

The extra clerk will spend half her time entering judgments from mostly misdemeanor change-of-plea hearings. Most domestic assault cases are charged as misdemeanor offenses.

Shaw acknowledged that some issues still need to be resolved.

Two clerks sharing one computer at a small counter near the judge's bench spells awkward. Only one clerk can log into the court system. Only one can use the keyboard.

"We're working out the bugs," Shaw said.

Find Zaz Hollander online at adn.com/contact/zhollander or call 352-6711.

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