A boom in business is coming. Are you ready?

You’ve scaled back, stayed home and struggled to manage all the logistics of your business during these strange and trying times. And while we don’t yet know what the future holds, experts agree this won’t last forever.

We can go ahead and breathe that collective sigh of relief.

If you’re like most companies, you’re probably working now to plan for the way forward. How will you proceed as the pandemic begins to recede? A question that spawns a whole list of other questions, no doubt.

Here at TrueCordis, we’d like to answer one of those for you:

How will you prepare for the coming boom in business?

Finally, a good problem!

Economists predict a sharp V- or U-shaped rise in the months to come. The unemployed will be searching for jobs and you’ll likely be the ones ready and willing to hire them. That’s the good.

The problem? You might be unprepared to capitalize on rebound opportunities.  As you know, background checks require thorough and competent research. If you’ve cut back on your own workforce, you may find your demand outpacing your capacity.

We want to help.

In response to the changes brought about by COVID-19, we developed the TrueScale Program. We’ve got our team up and running at 100%–ready to help when you need us.

The TrueCordis TrueScale Program utilizes our new TC Smart+ search engine and pairs you with your own personal concierge. By pre-registering, you’ll be set up for an easy data transfer and record processing when the boom hits your business!

We’re also offering members 100 free TC Smart+ searches and keeping them up to date on court and county openings. And discount pricing is available for qualifying searches.

Our hope is that we can make the transition from pandemic back to profits as smooth as possible. Let us know how we can help–and be sure to pre-register at no cost!

Just Released – Expanded Search Option Now Available in Virginia

The Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia recently released a new Online Case Information System (OCIS 2.0). The site allows users to perform *statewide searches for Criminal and Traffic case information found in both the Circuit & General District courts. *Note, there are two courts whose records are not provided on this system – Alexandria Circuit Court and Fairfax Circuit Court. The site is displayed as being statewide on the court’s website; however, due to the exception of these courts the site doesn’t completely qualify as being statewide. Access to the records from the two courts of exception (Alexandria Circuit & Fairfax Circuit) is provided on an individual basis through a web platform that these courts offer on an individual basis.

The possibility of this type of case management system was first mentioned in 2018 with the passing of House Bill No. 780. Now, just over a year later, it has been released to the public. OCIS 2.0 is found at https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/landing/false. Searches can be conducted by name or case number. The contents of the cases found on this system will match what’s found when searching the legacy case management system, OCIS. Depending on the user’s needs, the new system OCIS 2.0 will save a great deal of time when performing research.

As with any new remotely accessible court data system, conducting due diligence to determine usability is highly recommended.

Pennsylvania Clean Slate Act

With the passing of HB 1419 in 2018, Pennsylvania amended its legislation that determined how citizens could have a record sealed. HB 1419, commonly referred to as the Clean Slate Act allowed for the implementation of an automated system that reviews criminal cases of public record and determines their eligibility for sealing. In prior years, defendants who petitioned the court could have their low level, non-violent misdemeanors sealed. However, this newest revision to the legislation allows for automatic sealing of records without any action by the defendant.

On June 28, 2019, the automated system became operational. It is estimated that between now and June 2020, nearly 30 million records could be sealed. Here are the qualifying categories that each case must fall within to be considered:

Non-Conviction Records

  • Charges Dropped
  • Found Not Guilty

Non-Violent Conviction Records

  • Summary Offenses
  • Minor Misdemeanors

Cases will not be considered for seal unless the defendant has been crime-free for 10 years. Additionally, all fines and costs must be paid in full. Once sealed, the records will no longer appear on public records, but they can still be seen by law enforcement and the courts. A good resource to learn more about the Pennsylvania Clean Slate Act is found at https://mycleanslatepa.com/.

Pilot Program Launched in South Dakota

South Dakota is currently piloting a new case management system called eCourts. Once released to the public, this system will allow access to court case information and certain document images from any computer, after an account is established. Users will be able to view and download pages for $.10 per page. For this reason, the system is noted as being similar to PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), the system provided by the Federal Judiciary to access federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy records.

The benefits of this new system beyond accessibility is users can search by name, date of birth, county, and the offense date range. The public access computers currently available in the courthouses only allow searching by case number. Requestors wanting to obtain a complete criminal history must submit a request to the clerk and pay $20.00 per name.

At this time, it is unclear what types of case details and documents will be provided to the public once eCourts is officially released in late 2019/early 2020.

To learn more about eCourts visit https://ecourts.sd.gov/Account/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f and view the Help tab at the bottom of the page. An informative article about this pilot program can be found at https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/south-dakotans-will-soon-be-able-to-access-court-records/article_7be2d9fc-ccc9-503b-ad86-5a4094a452c2.html

The Future of PACER

In the fall of 2018, Rep. Doug Collins introduced bill H.R. 6714, the Electronic Court Records Reform Act. The bill, if passed, will directly affect the widely used Judicial Record System known as PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). In Summary:

  • This bill directs the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to consolidate the Case
    Management/Electronic Case Files system into one system.
  • Establishes certain requirements for the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, including the following:
  • documents filed with a federal court must be publicly accessible not later than five days after filing, and
  • documents on PACER must be available to the public and to parties before the court free of charge