The Connecticut Superior Court’s Online Adjudication System enables individuals who plead “not guilty” to a traffic infraction to participate in the court process electronically, rather than be required to physically appear in court.
Prior to the implementation of Electronic Citation (E-Citation) Processing, Connecticut’s traffic violation citation disposition system was completely manual, making it vulnerable to human error at many points throughout the process. In addition to creating opportunities for inaccurate and conflicting data, reliance upon a system based on paper and multiple points of data entry often results in processing delays, among other issues. The timeliness and uniformity of the Connecticut Superior Court’s Online Adjudication System eliminates the inconsistencies and inaccuracies in adjudication and conviction information posted to driver history files.
Through this system, Connecticut has successfully created collaboration between police services, courts and prosecuting authorities, ensuring accurate information and access to justice leading to meaningful adjudications. Currently available throughout the state, the system has reduced costs, improved the quality and timeliness of hearings and improved the convenience and efficiency of the process for both the court and the individual who receives the infraction.
Simply put, the Connecticut Superior Court’s Online Adjudication System is a success story and the first in the nation and a model for other states to improve the adjudication of traffic violations.