It is not often that a candidate for office exceeds expectations. A departure from the norm is Lake County Circuit Court Clerk Erin Cartwright Weinstein who has been delivering on her promise to modernize the office, and then some. Under her leadership, necessary improvements related to personnel, justice and efficient use of resources are being realized.
The Office of the Lake Circuit Clerk was largely untouched by technological advances. Cartwright ran on a platform of modernization and shortly after being sworn in, implemented a switch to full digitization of all court records and a new web-based case management system. This will dramatically speed up court processes. The Circuit Clerk has also added Artificial Intelligence to further improve efficiency. This fall will reflect a huge change in how the court’s operate, and providing a much better platform for access to justice. Additionally, the online case management and digitization help our environment by reducing waste and saving resources.
Cartwright has also brought substantial improvements for the personnel of the office. Staff enjoys the protections afforded by the first union contract ever for the Circuit Court Clerk’s office, women make up 90% of the workforce and moral has never been better.
In the office, Cartwright also uses her role to help members of our community who need help. She was the driving force behind reducing expungement fees, recognizing those are often prohibitive for rehabilitated individuals who are turning their lives around. Her changes were approved by the Lake County Board in July of this year.
The changes brought by Cartwright translate into savings for taxpayers. This year alone, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office came in $1.2 million dollars under budget expectations.
It is not every day when we find an elected official who delivers on promises made and effectively looks out for Lake County residents. We look forward to Cartwright Weinstein’s continued service.