The Suwanee Municipal Court has been named program of the year by the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council for its efforts regarding COVID-19 implementations.

The court has established a queuing platform in conjunction with recent building renovations to meet the needs of court staff and customers. Individuals can check in remotely and wait in their vehicles until they are contacted via cellphone. A dashboard accessible by court staff provides real-time information for solving issues, such as opening another check-in window when the number of customers exceeds a certain limit.

“The queuing system allows us to minimize the number of people in the building and practice social distancing, while still providing necessary services to our citizens,” said Jessica Roth, director of business services for the city of Suwanee.

The court has also implemented contactless document scanning, eliminating the need to exchange physical documents. A scanner in the courtroom allows attorneys and customers to share documents, and scanned documents are transmitted directly to a judge’s monitor.

“These new systems have immeasurably improved wait times and brought a more sophisticated level of organization to our processes by giving court staff a better way to move court participants through the building, while enhancing the customer experience as a whole,” said Mariza Abdeljawad, court service administrator.

The Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council is a non-profit association that provides resources to court clerks and assistance and guidance to the general public.

— Staff Reports