Statewide Computer Court Records Database Canceled

A database that would have allowed California courts to share information has been shelved.

Plans for a computer database that would allow California courts to easily share domestic violence and other records have been abandoned, after cost overruns and budget deficits plagued and delayed the project.

The California Court Case Management System was supposed to be in place in 2008, and was to allow courts to share records and other information easily, according to the San Francisco Appeal online newspaper. The database was first planned to cost $260 million in 2001, a cost estimate that this year ballooned to $1.9 billion and a completion date extended to 2015.

The state has spent $522 million to date on the project, according to reports. "Poor management" and "inadequate oversight" led to the project spiraling out of control, according to a report from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The statewide budget crunch has led courts to lay off employees and operate on reduced hours. Judges and court advocates said that "shelving" the expensive database in order to send money to the actual courts was the best move.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
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