Would the Sheriff Look at Facebook? Why Yes. I Would Know.....

Hello to everyone in the blogosphere.  It's been a while since I connected by sending you some news you can use, so today I have decided to share my experience attending a focus-group meeting with the Cook County Sheriff's Eviction and IT Team.  It was a really interesting, productive, and worthwhile meeting (even if I accidentally showed up two hours early and had to sit around with Starbucks!).  So why was I there, you ask?

Well, for starters, it all came up when I was filing an eviction and I was representing a landlord who had an unruly tenant who was troublesome.  I had asked the landlord for information about the tenant's hours, comings and goings, and for a physical description since he had a common name.  Then when I was doing the eviction, I asked at the Cook County Sheriff's Office Information Desk - was there a particular form I could use to provide them with some additional information.  They said I should fill out a suggestion for the "Suggestion Box."  So I did.

Well... low and behold, a week or so later, I received calls from a Sergeant in Charge, as well as in-house counsel for the Sheriff.  I was impressed.  Not only that, they invited me to submit all of my ideas and they announced the focus group - which of course I wanted to attend.  So today, I went and was able to meet and greet a lot of decision makers in the Sheriff''s office and IT people who are implementing a lot of good ideas to streamline the Sheriff's Website, to make evictions and process serves more effective, and to be better about communication.  But more importantly, they wanted to know what we think.  Me?  Little old lawyer me?  Yes.  They asked and asked again.  And then some. And it was not just me either.  It was a lot of people.

What did I say?  I offered suggestions such as improving Summons and Information Forms at the courthouse so t hat when someone is being served with any kind of legal service of process by the sheriff, the plaintiff should be able to describe them, provide photos, give information about the property (i.e. "use side gate" or the "code is 1234", etc.) so that their work is more effective and they don't get stuck.  Also, I suggested email case notice and real-time access in the courtrooms to the sheriff's data since court clerks and judges are often interested in those things (especially when the wiley lie about things like service).  I mentioned that private process servers get paid for success and that the sheriff's office should refund in certain circumstances since parties in Chicago are forced to use them when serving in Cook County in the first instance - it would be a way to give back for the forced use of their office.

All in all, it was a great meeting, but I took away something else.  I learned that government agencies are not always out to have their own way, and to corrupt the system.  Oftentimes they want to do good and they start by asking how they can be better.  That is excellent and gives me pause to tell Tom Dart, Sheriff of Cook County, that HE is doing a great job.  Thanks Sheriff Dart.  I'll be back at the next meeting with more ideas, and news you can use.  Until next time!