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Court systems across the U.S. use paper-based workflows for signing documents such as
Orders, motions, Warrants, TRO etc. Allowing the judges, Court staff and attorney's to
electronically signing these documents will gradually eliminate the reliance on paper-based
workflows and improve courtroom logistics. Electronic signatures allow court officials to
legally sign and send court orders, anywhere within a single state, with a single click. The
process will save judges, sheriffs, clerks, and attorneys' time and money.

Current Issues with Physical Signatures

Most court systems in the United States still use paper-based workflows. Choosing to continue using this work
process increases the pressure on judges, court clerks, and staff by decreasing efficiency and requiring
additional work.

Judges, for example, are required to sign a large amount of documentation for each case they hear. Physically
signing each of these documents with a wet or ink signature can be a hassle. Receiving a faxed order,
signing the document, and faxing it back can take a substantial amount of time. As a result, judges lose work
hours that could be spent hearing additional cases.

In many cases, court officials are forced to sign and fax documents from home, after working hours. In an
example from one court, a clerk had to drive out to a judge's house with a physical copy of the document for
him to sign because he did not have a fax machine at home. While this is an extreme example, the process of
using physical signatures and fax machines to process court orders is both time consuming and inefficient.

The workflow associated with all court processes can delay information being delivered for vital cases. This
causes problems not only for judges and clerks, but also for administrators, looking to improve circuit court
logistics. It can take days or weeks for all the parties to sign a document if judges must move between
courthouses in different counties. For certain forms that must be signed by certain deadlines, this process puts
added stress on the judges and costs the court system time and money.

Order to Release Form Workflow

As an example of a typical workflow, an Order to Release form (OR) requires the signature of the court clerk, the
presiding judge, and the sheriff. The below diagram illustrates the issues with faxing signed documents. The
boxes with pen pictures next to them indicate points at which an e-signature could be used to streamline the
process.

Sheriff refaxes signed

form.

Case finishes, Order

to Release given by
assigned judge

County Clerks office

receives notice from
judges office

Clerk tries
refaxing or:

Generates new OR
form.

Judge doesnt receive

signed form, other
problems with delivery

Clerk faxes the signed

document to Judges
court office or home

Judges signature is not

clear on fax form, judge
never faxes back, other
problems signing

Judge signs OR form

and faxes back.

Clerk refaxes judge's

signed document.

Judge's signature is
accepted

Sheriff doesn't
receive form.

Clerk faxes OR form

signed by judge and
clerk to Sheriff's Office

Clerk doesn't receive

signed document.

Sheriff signs

Sheriff Signature is
not clear on the
fax form.

Sheriffs signature
and judges are clear,
inmate is processed.

Clerk signs document

and
stamps/watermarks

Sheriff faxes the signed

form back to clerks
office for archive

This scenario can be applied to any similar court order form that requires court officials or attorneys'
signatures.

Cloud Technology and Electronic Signatures

Electronic signature technology operates through a secure web interface to allow for easy signing and
processing of court documents from anywhere. Document exchange, storage, and signing technology,
integrated with a court's existing internal network, can be a powerful tool to harness optimal security and
efficiency. In addition to providing the standard login and password gateway to access the network, 256 bit
encryption ensures that the document is transmitted and stored with the highest possible level of security.

The following diagram illustrates how cloud technology with encryption makes storing, signing, or transmitting
court order forms easy and secure:

Judge
reviews
work-ups

OR Dept
Submits work-ups
and Order

SF Superior Court
Digital Signature Server
Orders Data base
Judge digitally signs
OR Release Order

Court Cloud

Independent Certificate
and Security Key
Servers Used to validate
and certify User
Court User
Query Only

Sheriff Retrieves OR
Release Order and
Releases Defendant

The cloud allows all three parties to sign and approve the document simultaneously and at their convenience.
If the document needs to be referenced, it can be easily and securely retrieved from the court's database. This
eliminates the court's physical document storage and streamlines both the signing and filing process.

Conclusion
E-Signature statutes have been adopted by legislatures across every single state in compliance with federal
standards, but not all counties have implemented electronic signature systems. Implementing e-signature
systems can improve courtroom logistics by:

?
Reducing paperwork clutter
?
Eliminating time wasted in the faxing process
?
Allowing judges to sign from any location, including pcs, mobile phones, and tablets
?
Allowing judges to sign, send, and organize court order forms efficiently
?
Allowing judges to sign, send, receive, and organize the order forms in real-time with the use of cloud
technology.
The incorporation of a well-organized electronic signature system can provide these benefits.

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