The Atlanta Lawyer January/February 2011 | Page 10

from the bench

Building a Model Court
By Chief Judge Patsy Y. Porter
State Court of Fulton County

A

t a time when citizens and communities need them most,
critical public services are being threatened by the worst
fiscal crises since the Great Depression. School districts
are trying to provide our kids with a quality education while tight
budgets force them to do more with less. Parks are reducing hours
or closing altogether. Public hospitals are finding it more difficult
to provide quality care. And State Courts are feeling the budget
squeezes in the form of delayed cases, increased filing fees and
disappearing funding and personnel.

CREATING A VISION
Fortunately, great ideas are in limitless supply and remain
unaffected by the whims of adequate funding. That is why – even
during these tough economic times – the judges of the State Court
of Fulton County have worked together to create a solid vision
for the Court’s future and are doing everything it takes for us to
become a model Court. To reach our vision, we are examining
our institution at every level -- taking an honest look at what’s
working and deciding what we need to do as a team to fix what
is broken.
We are determined to be fair and effective with every case we
handle and every litigant we serve. We have agreed to use
technology better to open the door to a more streamlined case
management process, and we have agreed that the Court’s physical
structure should be more appealing, with clear signage that helps
everyone -- staff, customers and visitors -- get where they need
to go. We are dedicated to transforming ourselves int