Judiciary highlights virtual courts, cybersecurity priorities and expungement processing challenges

Judiciary leaders told the Assembly Budget Committee that virtual proceedings have improved access for low‑risk matters but that several technology and cybersecurity priorities remain.

Acting administrative director Michael Blee said municipal courts and many case conferences have successfully moved online — “about 80 to 90%” of municipal proceedings — and that virtual hearings save time and expense for litigants. He cautioned that final hearings, jury trials and proceedings implicating credibility findings remain in person.

On cybersecurity, chief information leadership (testimony referenced IT managers) said the courts take cybersecurity seriously and have conducted awareness training to counter phishing and other human‑targeted attacks. Witnesses described an incident response capability that had restored operations in other states in weeks and praised the judiciary’s internal incident teams for rapid containment and remediation.

The committee also discussed expungements. Blee said electronic filing and statutory changes (including marijuana law reform and clean‑slate provisions) have made expungement more accessible, but processing remains dependent on state police and other external steps that create delays. The director said the judiciary helps with outreach (job fairs, veterans events) but that backlogs in processing at other agencies can undercut applicants’ expectations.

Committee members also asked about AI governance. Blee said a judiciary working group is studying AI use, focusing on internal tools and appropriate guidance for lawyers; he said the judiciary is exploring internally developed AI systems rather than outsourcing, and emphasized training about responsible use.

Ending: Judiciary staff agreed to provide more detailed technology and cybersecurity budget requests and to supply statistics on remote hearings and expungement processing to the committee.