Halifax judicial leaders outline shift to eCourts, and county officials describe jail, public defender and DA changes

Halifax County judicial officials briefed the Board of Commissioners on a suite of changes aimed at modernizing courts, improving case processing and expanding legal representation for residents. The most immediate change is a statewide eCourts implementation that will make court files electronic beginning April 28 and will alter how the public and attorneys interact with court business.

Chief District Court Judge Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman told the board that Judicial District 7 (which includes Halifax County) is on track to launch eCourts on April 28, joining other counties. Freeman said the change will make the court system paperless and require extensive scanning of legacy files into the Odyssey system. She warned that the transition will cause a short-term backlog and mandatory calendar limits while clerks and court staff convert files and stakeholders adjust to new procedures. Freeman said judges will sign orders electronically going forward and that the Administrative Office of the Courts will provide on-site assistance into May.

District Attorney Kim Scott and Chief Public Defender Conza Ruffin reported related casework and staffing trends. Scott summarized recent performance metrics across the judicial district — notably declines in pending felony cases and a reported increase in homicide filings — and credited improved case triage and coordination with the sheriff and jail for faster dispositions of those jailed pretrial. Ruffin said the District 7 public defender office began taking cases in mid-2024 and now has 10 of 12 attorney positions filled, supported by legal assistants and an investigator; she described efforts to connect clients to community services beyond courtroom representation.

Sheriff Matt Brown described operational changes at the jail that have reduced population pressure and improved attorney access for inmates. Brown said the sheriff’s office started weekly jail courts to triage cases earlier, introduced daily electronic notifications to attorneys about client status, and deployed tablets that allow inmates to take educational classes, call attorneys within set windows, and access reentry resources. Prosecutors and defense counsel at the meeting said those changes improved communication and accelerated case resolution.

Commissioners and court leaders flagged immediate needs tied to eCourts: additional clerk staffing, equipment and courtroom upgrades such as power and data ports to support laptops and digital workflows. Judge Freeman thanked the county for court-space upgrades already funded and said the county’s investments will ease the transition. County staff said they will continue to coordinate with the Administrative Office of the Courts on training and deployment plans.