Does your court allow everyone access the Internet or is it limited to particular duties or job functions? If everyone is allowed, are there formal policies (above and beyond official guidance) which dictate how it should be used, and how is this monitored?

-- Ken gardner (kenneth_gardner@ce9.uscourts.gov), October 14, 1999

Answers

All of our court staff have access to the Internet. Each employee was required to read and sign an Internet Access Agreement. For more information, please visit our Intranet Web site at http://156.124.92.245/~txwb/. Information regarding use of the Internet can be found under HR (Human Resources). We have not encountered any misuse. Our court staff relies heavily on the information provided on our Intranet site. We have included QA Guidelines and Procedural Documentation on our site which gives them instant access to information and eliminates the need for binders and papers.

-- Peggy Craig (peggy_craig@txwb.uscourts.gov), October 15, 1999.

The District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania does not allow internet access to all employees. We have a policy which requires that any employee, including judges' staffs, must have read the policy, sign a form indicating that they have read the policy and agree to abide by it, and for clerk's office employees, they must have my signed approval, and judges' staffs must have their judge's and my signature before our automation department will give anyone access to the internet. If you are interested in receiving a copy of our policy, feel free to call me at 412-208-7500.

-- James A. Drach (James Drach@pawd.uscourts.gov), October 15, 1999.