JTAC Field Support Specialist David Steward accepts the Best Practice Award from Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals President Robert Rasmussen

The Indiana Supreme Court has been honored with the Best Practices Award by the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals for its electronic Citation and Warning System (eCWS), also known as e-Ticket.  The system allows law enforcement officers to use a hand held device to scan a bar code on a driver’s license and vehicle registration to quickly create a traffic ticket.  The e-Ticket can then be sent to the new case management system that is being implemented across the state.  The award was presented at the 35th International Forum on Traffic Records & Highway Safety Information Systems in Arizona in July.

The e-Ticket system was created in 2007 by the Indiana Supreme Court under the direction of State Court Administration’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC). “This is a proud moment for all our stakeholders, and demonstrates an extraordinary partnership with the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of state government,” explained Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr. who serves as the JTAC Chairman.  “This is 21st-century technology that is safer for police and the public and more efficient for taxpayers.” 

The time needed for a traffic stop is greatly reduced with e-Ticket which allows for enhanced public safety by getting officers and drivers off the roadside more quickly.  Traffic tickets can be uploaded to a web-based system where cases can be filed automatically with the Indiana Supreme Court’s statewide case management system called Odyssey.  Odyssey sends suspension and conviction case information electronically to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).  This eliminates data errors and saves countless dollars on administrative time, paper filing and tracking for officers, courts and the BMV.

David Steward, a JTAC Field Support Specialist attended the conference and awards ceremony.  “It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of the Court family.  Through federal and state grants, including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants, many Indiana law enforcement agencies have the necessary equipment and e-Ticket software, which adds an important tool to improve traffic enforcement and public safety.”

More than 125 law enforcement agencies across Indiana are using e-Ticket.  The software and training are provided to law enforcement agencies at no cost. The Indiana Supreme Court works in partnership with the Indiana State Police, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, the BMV and law enforcement officials including the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, and local departments across the state. Over a million warnings and tickets have already been created using e-Ticket.  More information can be found online at courts.IN.gov/jtac/programs/ecws.html.