Magistrate Court Streamlines Arrest Warrant/First Appearance Hearing with New Electronic Warrant Process

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

In 2014, the Camden County Magistrate Court purchased a new computer software program that enables arrest warrants to be both electronically submitted to and issued by a Magistrate Judge. Once the warrant has been reviewed and the judge finds probable cause to exist, the judge and the officer connect via a Skype connection and the officer swears to the contents of the warrant. With the touch of a button, electronic signatures are then affixed and the warrant is issued electronically. The warrant is then automatically emailed to the issuing officer, judge, Jail, 911 Center and Warrants Division. Law enforcement officers are no longer required to drive to the Magistrate Court office or to a judge’s private residence after hours to get a warrant signed. This allows officers to remain within their jurisdiction and answer 911 calls for assistance, rather than spending a minimum of one hour per shift driving to meet with a judge to get a warrant signed and turned in to the jail. First appearance and bond hearings are now conducted remotely through Skype, completely eliminating the need to transport inmates to the courthouse. This minimizes security and transportation risks and keeps inmates in a secure environment.