New Hanover and Pender County courts still adjusting to e-court system one month in

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It’s been one month since Pender and New Hanover Counties began using the E-Court digital system and so far, District Attorney Jason Smith says the transition has been slow.

Including Pender and New Hanover Counties, there are now 62 counties in the state utilizing the E-Court system.

Proponents of the new system say it cuts down on the use of paper because all documents for a case can be e-filed and it gives the public easier access to court information via an online portal.

According to New Hanover and Pender Counties’ District Attorney Jason Smith, the transition to the new system has posed quite a few challenges.

“Whose task it is to, to do certain things,” Smith said. “So it’s really communicating with the judge’s office, the clerk’s office, and our office on, on who’s responsible for what before a plea or before a trial. And it’s just created a lot more work for the clerk’s office.”

The DA said anyone needing to go to court will need to be patient as court staff continue to get acclimated to the new system now in place.