Court officials in Yakima, Washington have turned to technology in an effort to reduce court backlog. The Yakima County District Court, whose local court rules allow for the submission of a written statement instead of appearing at a hearing, has implemented a program which allows people to respond to public infraction tickets (such as traffic tickets) by emailing their explanations and excuses to a judge. The electronic "Mitigation Form" can be submitted directly from the Yakima County Court website. The defendant is then given the option of receiving the result of the hearing via email or regular mail. Previously, people who wished to respond to a traffic ticket would be forced to typically wait for hours in order to be heard by the judge. For more information on the Yakima County Court, visit: http://www.co.yakima.wa.us/courts/default.htm To view the Electronic Mitigation Form, visit: http://www.co.yakima.wa.us/courts/mitigationform.htm

E-TIPS® ISSUE

02 10 10

Disclaimer: This Newsletter is intended to provide readers with general information on legal developments in the areas of e-commerce, information technology and intellectual property. It is not intended to be a complete statement of the law, nor is it intended to provide legal advice. No person should act or rely upon the information contained in this newsletter without seeking legal advice.

E-TIPS is a registered trade-mark of Deeth Williams Wall LLP.