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Frequently
Asked Questions
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What
is Spirit?
Spirit is a collection of several programs, databases and computers that
help the entire traffic court system of Miami-Dade County do their day-to-day
work. Spirit is not just another courtroom program, or an over glorified
case management system, or just a simple storage and retrieval image system.
Spirit supports the entire traffic court infrastructure from start to
finish. From the point where the police officer files the ticket with
the Clerks Office to where the defendant gets adjudicated in traffic court.
Spirit is the Miami-Dade County Court Traffic System.
What
is Imaging Technology?
Imaging technology is the conversion of paper-based documents into an
electronic digitized format used by computers to store and display records.
This process is analogous to the use of a facsimile machine. The digitized
images (formats) are exact copies of original documents and provide greater
flexibility in managing files. Once in this electronic format, the images
are stored on an "optical platter", which resembles a compact
disk (CD). A single platter stores data equivalent to file cabinets filled
with paper documents. Once the data is etched onto the optical platter,
images cannot be altered or erased, thereby ensuring the integrity of
the data. Platters are accessed and stored in a device called a "jukebox".
By means of an image management system, the digitized data is organized
for easy retrieval and displayed simultaneously on demand to any authorized
workstation throughout the county.
Is
SPIRIT like Microsoft Word, a prepackaged software item?
No. SPIRIT is a large scale system the was designed and constructed for
Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts Office, but this system can be custom
tailored to your needs.
How
long has SPIRIT been in use?
Phase one of SPIRIT, the Calendaring Workbench that sets 15,000 cases
per week, has been in production since July 1995. SPIRIT imaging technology
has been in use since January 20, 1998.
Who
developed and designed SPIRIT?
Accenture developed SPIRIT for Miami-Dade County with the help of the
following local government offices: Clerk of Courts, Administrative Office
of the Courts, State Attorneys Office, Public Defender, Miami-Dade Police
Department and the Information Technology Department.
Do
judges really use SPIRIT in the courtroom?
Yes they do. All 25 hearing officers and most of our 22 judges "drive"
the system. For those who don't "drive" a clerk can do the "driving"
for the judge as they supervise and approve the work completed by the
clerk.
What
is the typical courtroom layout with SPIRIT?
How
many courtrooms use SPIRIT?
All of the 23 traffic courtrooms in Miami-Dade County use the SPIRIT system.
How
many traffic cases does SPIRIT handle in a day?
SPIRIT currently handles up to 3600 cases a day and this NOT the limit
of the system.
Is
SPIRIT a case management system?
No. The case management system is only one portion of the SPIRIT system.
SPIRIT uses a case management system that was designed by the County to
work on their mainframe systems. SPIRIT can use almost any legacy case
management system that's in place or we can design one that fits your
needs.
How
can I see SPIRIT in action for myself?
We offer tours of our system once every month. You can get the entire
tour of the system, but there's a lot to see. So make sure you have at
least an entire morning to spend with us in Miami for a complete tour
of our criminal and infraction courtrooms and backoffice areas.
How
much does SPIRIT cost?
We all know that large information systems tailored to your needs are
expensive, but the cost depends on how much customization is necessary,
and in the end SPIRIT will end up saving you money. Contact us and we
can discuss how much it would cost to build your own system.
How
would SPIRIT benefit me?
See: http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/spirit.asp
I
think we could use something like SPIRIT, so who do we contact?
Tom
James,
Chief Information Offier, Clerk of Courts,
jamestg@miami-dadeclerk.com
MarvinChaney,
Associate Partner Accenture,
marvin.chaney@accenture.com
Ricky Schechtman,
Senior Deputy, Clerk of Courts,
sch@miami-dadeclerk.com
Can
somebody come visit and give me a presentation and analysis of our system?
First look at all of the information that we have to offer and ask yourself
if you could use SPIRIT. Then check and see if you have a suitable and
available budget. If you answered yes to all of the above, then we can
schedule an assessment at your convenience. If you have an RFI, please
inform us and we will respond accordingly.
Is
SPIRIT only for traffic? Could I apply it to other types of cases?
The SPIRIT system, at the moment, is only for traffic cases but will include
misdemeanor cases by 2004. The system can be designed for all types of
cases.
Can
we make changes to SPIRIT to better suit your needs?
Each state and/or local government has it special laws and rules and SPIRIT
can be modified to best suit your needs.
What
operating systems does SPIRIT use?
On the server side SPIRIT uses IBM AIX, which is a flavor of UNIX, and
on the client side we use Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, which is
the mainstream operating system for PC's. SPIRIT can be adapted to run
on a Microsoft Advanced Server 2000 environment.
What
database systems does SPIRIT use?
We use Oracle as our main database system. SPIRIT can also be modified
easily to use data from Microsoft's SQL Server.
What
imaging system does SPIRIT use?
SPIRIT uses FileNET. FileNET Panagon IDM is an industry leader in image
and document management.
Do
we have to use a certain type of imaging system?
FileNET is SPIRIT's preferred document management and imaging system.
However, if you already have an imaging system in place, an assessment
could be made to judge how much work it would take to integrate into your
current system.
Imaging
Technology in the courts?
In the Courts
and Clerk's Office Traffic Division, the implementation of imaging technology
has replaced the cumbersome physical handling, movement and storage of
massive volumes of documents. In its place, this technology provides instantaneous
and simultaneous access to traffic court documents in the courtroom as
well as in the office environment. We in fact have the first comprehensive
courtroom application of imaging and a paperless Traffic Court. In addition,
imaging has eliminated many manual redundant tasks and provides a more
efficient and satisfying work environment for all traffic personnel. The
ultimate goal of the SPIRIT Project is to enable the Clerk's Office to
provide quick, efficient and convenient service to the taxpayers of Miami-Dade
County.
A
key advantage of imaging technology is its flexibility and accessibility
in viewing case files. SPIRIT equipped courtrooms have imaging workstations
(PC's) available for use by the judges, attorneys and court clerks, instead
of stacks of paper files. Each personal computer (PC) has the capability
of accessing the case files scheduled for a particular day's calendar
and all case information, (i.e., pleadings) that are relevant to the proceeding.
During the hearing, attorneys are able to review case files and enter
pleas directly from the system. Once a case is adjudicated, its disposition
is posted. This data is then available instantaneously for display along
with sentencing information. Necessary forms and orders are also generated
by the system and are picked up by the defendant in our post judgment
room.
Looking
in the future - on to the 21st century?
Additional
benefits, such as increased employee satisfaction, greater security of
court records, reduction of storage needs and better provision for recovery
of lost or damaged files are being realized with the continued implementation
of imaging.
From the beginning, the vision of the SPIRIT Project has been to provide
a foundation, which will reach far beyond the implementation of this new
technology in the Traffic Division. With appropriate funding, the effort
will be able to continue to move forward with the development of similar
systems in the Misdemeanor, Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile and Probate
Divisions; County Recorder's Office and Clerk of the Board.
The vision of the future is to remove the paper files from the day-to-day
case processing by means of these exciting, new technologies.
