Users who have a case in any of the counties can sign up for a free service that sends text message reminders in advance of hearings and payment due dates.
"I think with any business now, you get text reminders about your appointment coming up, and this is like that," said Peggy Frericks, court administrator of Third Judicial District, which includes Sioux County.
It's not uncommon for a doctor or dentist appointment to slip one's mind. Court hearings and payments are no different. Thinking back to her days as a court clerk, Frericks said she frequently dealt with people who had lost a written notice about an upcoming hearing or simply forgot they had a court date or a payment due on their court costs.
A simple text message could be all that's needed to keep them on schedule.
"It's a way to reach more people, to improve service to them," Frericks said.
Under the system, which went live in recent weeks, users can sign up to receive reminders of hearings in criminal, simple misdemeanor and non-traffic cases or for upcoming payments due in criminal, simple misdemeanor and traffic disposed cases.
Users can register for the service using their cellphone or by calling the Clerk of Court office.
Sioux County Clerk of Court Deb Fischer said "a few" people have signed up for the service in her county, but she hasn't heard any feedback.
"I do anticipate as it becomes more well-known we'll have some people take advantage of it," Fischer said.
Missed court dates or payments can lead to adverse actions. If a text message can prevent that from happening, it saves people trouble and the court system the time of rescheduling hearings and dealing with late payments, said Robert Gast, Iowa State Court administrator.
"This is a way, if they've got that phone with them, that they can avoid other consequences," Gast said. "If we can get folks in there and get access, then it helps them and it helps us."
Other states have similar systems, Gast said, and Iowa began studying it in 2019 under previous court administrator Todd Nuccio. The judicial branch's information technology department developed and administers the system, and a third-party vendor sends the text messages. The monthly cost to the judicial branch is approximately $1,000-$1,200, and could rise as more people sign up.
The system's effectiveness will be reviewed after March to determine if it should be expanded to more counties or statewide, Gast said.
Other counties in the pilot project are Shelby, Polk, Marshall, Dubuque and Davis.
For more information about how to subscribe, visit iowacourts.gov and find the link to the eReminder page under the "For the Public" tab.
©2023 Sioux City Journal, Iowa. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
