MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Clericus Magnus means "great clerk" in Latin. It is also the name of a software system that is changing the way the Madison County courts manage their vast flow of documents and case information.

This year Madison County Circuit Court Clerk Matt Melucci adopted Clericus Magnus' internet browser, called eMagnus, to make docket and case information available online in real time-as soon as the clerk's office enters the information.

The adoption of eMagnus keeps Madison County in the technological forefront among Illinois court systems, winning Melucci praise from his staff.

"Matt has done wonderful things since being elected. He has made great changes," said Judy Nelson, Chief Deputy Clerk.

Nelson and her colleagues behind the clerk's counter hope that lawyers and others will refer to eMagnus before asking for case files, which would provide an enormous productivity boost to the courts' overwhelmed back office.

"We were very excited to have the eMagnus system become available, " said Nelson.

Melucci's office signed a one-year contract with Magnus Clericus. Jano charges a $TK annual fee for access to the online case information. The multicourt system provides access to criminal case information and allows title searches. Copies of filings, exhibits and some other documents are not available online.

The Madison County State's Attorney's office uses Jano's Prosecuting Attorney-brand software to manage its document flow.

Clericus Magnus was developed in 1989 by Jano in response to a request from the Sangamon County courts for development of a custom Child Support Application. The company still maintains software-development offices in Springfield. Today the company offers four court-management software platforms: the Integrated Court Module, Probation Module, Prosecuting Attorney, and Process Document System.

Jano also makes software, called Magnus ePay and eFile, to facilitate online filings and payment of court fines and fees. Madison County has no plans to implement those programs, despite rumors (reported in The Record) to the contrary.

"There are several factors that have to be ironed out before we can offer this service," said Deputy Clerk Nelson.

Madison County began using Clericus Magnus software in 1994. Before then clerks entered case information in a ledger by hand.