Student Volunteer Program completes second year

<p class="p1">The Randolph County Circuit Clerk's second annual Student Volunteer Program came to an end on July 29, with the five participating students getting a chance to sit in on Drew Peterson's sentencing hearing that day.

<p class="p1">During the month-and-a-half program, students spent time in the courtrooms observing proceedings of both civil and criminal cases, as well as the jury selection process.

<p class="p1">They met judges Richard A. Brown and Gene Gross, State's Attorney Jeremy Walker and many local attorneys.

<p class="p1">"You could really see a difference from the first day," said Randolph County Circuit Clerk Sherry Johnson. "They were timid and not knowing what to do. At the end of the program, they came in, threw their stuff down and went to work.

<p class="p1">"They were very interested in the court system and some of them want to come back."

<p class="p1">The majority of the students' time was spent in the circuit clerk's office, learning everyday functions of it and observing how it serves the public.

<p class="p1">Students saw how the office assists attorneys and the filing and organization of the office itself.

<p class="p1">"It is fun for me to show these kids and see their enthusiasm as part of it and give something back to the community and hopefully have some guidance there," Johnson said. "It's a very good feeling. I'm really happy we started this program."

<p class="p1">Johnson noted the students also got to see the "wave of the future" with electronic filing. Electronic filing is mandated by the Illinois Supreme Court to be in use by January 1, 2018 and Randolph County's scanning equipment is ready.

<p class="p1">"In the future, it will be very beneficial to us," Johnson said. "The immediate thing we're noticing the most is the reduction in time it takes to do an appeal.

<p class="p1">"What used to take three-to-five days, we get done in half a day."

<p class="p1">Johnson said the 5th District Appellate Court in Mount Vernon is not currently accepting electronically-filed appeals.

<p class="p1">"But they are allowing us to print them out and mail the appeal in that way instead of taking it apart, renumbering it and reindexing it," she said.

<p class="p1">Johnson noted that the scanning system is paid for by people who use the court system.

<p class="p1">"If you have to use the court system, and we collect fees by statute, that's how the system is paid for," she said.

<p class="p1">As far as the future of the Student Volunteer Program, Johnson said she expects it to be reduced to a two or three week period next summer.

<p class="p1">"The entire summer seems a bit too long," she said. "That will give them an opportunity to enjoy most of the summer."