Putnam Releases Free Downloadable App For Keeping Up With Court Dates

Putnam County just released a downloadable phone app to help residents keep up with their court dockets and jury duty.

Putnam Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer Wilkerson said the county coordinated with a vendor who had worked on government-used apps before. Wilkerson said the free app allows citizens to look up information regarding their cases and make payments.

“I think anytime that you can put information in somebody’s hand and make it easier,” Wilkerson said. “Our lives are incredibly busy now as adults, we’re all running full force and so I think having that right in your hand will certainly make it easier.”

Wilkerson said the app is the newest addition to Putnam’s overall effort to make their offices more accessible to the public.

Wilkerson said one of the app’s more important features is a running bar at the top of the screen where her office will post critical information. Wilkerson said attorneys will also be able to look up information regarding their cases as well.

“The court system has historically been very slow,” Wilkerson said. “That’s just when cases come around, it has not been easy for folks to obtain information in the past about when their cases sit on the docket oftentimes.”

Wilkerson said the app will hopefully improve attendance and the meeting of court deadlines.

“The intention is to be able to help lower the amount of people who are missing their court dates,” Wilkerson said. “But also to increase the amount of money that we’re collecting on those cases so that people can stay in touch with us and have a better understanding of what the fees and the fines that are owed.”

Wilkerson said the county has also been sending text message reminders for upcoming court dates, which will continue.

Wilkerson said the app took less than a year to develop from the idea phase to store launch.