St. Louis County circuit judges discuss construction, noise, e-filing

Courthouse construction was the thread that shot through every topic at the St. Louis County Circuit Court‘s February en banc meeting — if only because the judges had to make themselves heard over pervasive construction noise.

The judges on Wednesday discussed the construction, the county’s upcoming move to e-filing, security measures and bailiff attire.

“I know it’s annoying,” Presiding Judge Maura B. McShane said of the noise. “Eventually it’ll be over.” Judges, she said, have been flexible in sharing their courtrooms in response to the worst of the noise.

In a building update, Judge Douglas R. Beach said the spate of jackhammering to remove the exterior plaza will be over this month, but noise will begin again at the end of March as new elevators are installed.

By fall of 2015, the entrance to the building will be moved. Then courthouse personnel will move temporarily one floor at a time to the new family court facility during renovations.

Judge Kristine Kerr said the court still was set to move to e-filing on March 31. Still up for discussion, she said, was how judges will sign documents electronically. Every other week, Kerr said, the court has calls with the Office of State Court Administrator relating to the changeover.

“Please manage your expectations and anticipate bumps in the road,” Kerr said. “You won’t go live without training opportunities.”

Circuit Clerk Joan M. Gilmer said the rollout schedule for e-filing by division was in the works. Probate, associate civil, small claims and Department of Revenue issues will be first, followed by civil and family court divisions, and finally criminal and traffic. Within two years, Gilmer said, all the divisions will be online.

In her report from the security committee, Sherry said some of the courtrooms did not have working panic buttons. She also said the committee would ask local police chiefs to communicate to their officers that when showing up to court for personal matters, they should not appear in uniform.

The committee also is recommending standardizing bailiff attire, she said. Judges have had leeway in how their bailiffs dress, but each one ought to wear “those natty grey blazers” to be easily identifiable, Sherry said.

Reporting from the family court committee, Judges Ellen Levy Siwak and Sandra Farragut-Hemphill proposed a voluntary mediation system for pro-se litigants, whom they said they saw mostly in child support cases. Attorneys could assist once a month for free or on a sliding scale. They also proposed an orientation system for self-represented litigants, which could either be in person or online through a video.

The court’s next en banc meeting is scheduled for March 12.