Research conducted by Indiana University scholars, led by Maurer School of Law Professor Victor Quintanilla, was cited by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush ’83 during her annual State of the Judiciary as evidence Indiana is a national leader in court technology.
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe in early 2020, shutdowns were common in nearly every facet of life. From schools and stores to recreational facilities and restaurants, the virus forced many organizations—including courts—to close or reduce their capacity. As some courts opened their dockets to virtual access, Quintanilla and Indiana University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Kurt Hugenberg and post-doctoral scholar Ryan Hutchings saw an opportunity to measure how satisfied litigants were with their online court experience.
The trio of IU faculty published “Accessing Justice with Zoom: Experiences and Outcomes in Online Civil Courts” in October.
They measured the impact of remote technologies on vulnerable individuals in civil cases like evictions, debt collection, small claims and family law – cases in which more than 90% of defendants are unrepresented. The report compares the experiences of unrepresented persons attending civil proceedings in person with those accessing court remotely. Harvard University’s Nedim Yel provided data management support.
“It’s no surprise that court customers would want to get a text message reminder about a hearing or to pay a traffic ticket online—but do Hoosiers want to attend court online?” Rush asked in her address. “We weren’t sure. So we welcomed Indiana University researchers to take an impartial look. Like many, they were skeptical that people would be satisfied with having their day in court remotely. And we were particularly interested in the experiences of vulnerable Hoosiers.”
The State of the Judiciary Address is given each year by the Chief Justice of Indiana to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly in the House of Representatives Chamber at the Indiana State House.
Quintanilla said previous reports had shown disparities in technology between litigants and lawyers: most lawyers used laptops while most unrepresented persons logged on via phones. He was also concerned about unreliable internet access, as 740,000 Indiana residents – 10.8% of the state’s population – have no personal internet access.
The results of the study showed promise. Researchers found most unrepresented litigants who attended court remotely wanted to do so in the future; unrepresented defendants who accessed court remotely had higher satisfaction rates with case outcomes than those attending in person; and unrepresented defendants reported less stress in remote proceedings than with in-person appearances.
“Their research revealed ‘loudly and resoundingly: online civil courts enhance access to justice for unrepresented litigants,’” Rush said. “For a person who has to find a ride to court, miss work, or get childcare, remote access is not just about flexibility—it is the lynchpin to getting their case resolved, getting justice.”
Rush praised the work of the IU faculty with having a major impact on how access to justice can be improved for Hoosiers across the state.
“Simply logging on to a remote proceeding—at times—is far more practical than jumping the hurdles that can accompany attending court in person,” she said. “Thank you, Professor Victor Quintanilla and team for your research. It provides guidance on how we can use technology to meet the ‘promise of a people-centered justice system.’”