iDocket's UCMS selected by OCA for Texas statewide contract

iDocket’s case management software, with its bounty of features and its user-friendly interface, is now available for all Texas Clerks following iDocket’s selection by the Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA).

In November of 2020, the OCA issued a Request for Offers (RFO) for a statewide, integrated, comprehensive, cloud-based uniform case management system (UCMS) focused on counties with a population of 20,000 or less but available to all counties to use. The primary goals of the $26 million initiative were to improve the accuracy and timeliness of judicial data reporting and enhance the utilization of this information to improve case management processes across the state.

The RFO’s stated objectives included:

• Streamlined electronic workflow and improved case management.
• Enhanced 360-degree view of all cases/parties/participants.
• Simplification of application and technology architecture within and across counties.
• A centralized data repository that enables remote access to real-time case data for analytics and improved court decisions.
• Enhanced reporting capabilities.
• Improved security management, preservation of data, transparency across and within jurisdictions, clear audit trails and improved tracking of critical case and party/participant information.

According to Amelia Balderrama, president of iDocket, the impetus behind OCA’s push for a centralized UCMS was the prevention of future mass violence. “ The governor ’s office as well as key leaders at OCA were determined to do something about mass shootings in Texas,” said Balderrama, “and we wanted to respond because of our concern for our friends in law enforcement and for the kids of our state.”

iDocket responded to the RFO and proposed adapting its case management system, already successfully used by 47 Texas counties as an on-premise CMS, to meet the requirements of the cloud-based UCMS. “We knew our solution would work and it was pretty much ready to go with a few changes to get it into the cloud,” said Balderrama. The iDocket team’s proposal to OCA included Cooper Consulting, a certified HUB that has worked with many State of Texas agencies.

OCA saw the advantages of leveraging iDocket’s 20 years of experience with Texas Clerks, providing them case management software and extracting judicial information for online access, and selected iDocket to deliver to OCA a statewide, integrated, comprehensive, cloud-based UCMS.

An added bonus for Texas counties is access to iDocket’s innovative county-wide software for other judicial processes, such as arrest, indictment, and final adjudication, and users, including Judges, Sheriff, District/County Attorneys, Circuit/District Clerks, and Justices of the Peace.