Bossier Parish Clerk of Court Launches Web-based Search

Bossier City, Louisiana - May 19, 2004 - Joan Carraway, the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court, today announced the availability of WebView ™, an Internet based computer application for research into the Clerk of Court records.

WebView™ allows internet users real-time access to Mortgage and Conveyance indexes, Marriage license indexes as well as publicly available Civil and Criminal records. Also available are scanned images of the past several years so the Internet user can view a copy of the instruments recorded in the Clerks office.

The service will be offered at no cost to other judicial and law enforcement agencies and on a fee-basis to outside organizations such as abstract companies, law offices and others who commonly use the Clerks records. Public libraries across the parish will be provided free access to all WebView™ data with the exception of scanned images.

Ms Carraway stated that her intention is to provide as much free access as possible. Since her office is primarily funded by services provided, rather than from taxes, the subscription fees are intended to offset the cost of providing the service.

With the availability of WebView ™, the Bossier Parish Clerks office is among the very first parishes in Louisiana to provide access to data via the web. Also, because they where an early adaptor of document imaging for Conveyances, Mortgages, Civil and Criminal Cases, they are in an even more select group in providing these images on the web.

“We have worked with our software provider for a number of years to improve the technologies and efficiencies in our office” said Ms Carraway. “We intend that these steps will provide better service to our customers and that we will improve the integration and efficiencies of the entire judicial system within Bossier Parish.”

Local residents and users of the Clerks office are excited about the new Web access. Marty Carlson, a paralegal, said “I found it exceedingly user friendly and very easy to navigate.” Brian Morrow, law clerk with the the 26th Judicial District Judges Office, says, “it has cut my workload in half.” James Southerland, a local attorney, says, “it is a time saver and user friendly.”

WebView™, and the software applications used by the Bossier Clerks office are products of Software & Services, a local programming and consulting company that provides services to nearly 200 local government agencies across Louisiana.