Abstract:
A method for lawyers to communicate to courts has a client browser in bi-directional communication with a web application server and database. The database stores records and procedures for each court system and common functions applicable to any court system. A messaging subsystem provides messages populated with information from database records for delivery through the web application server to the client browser, or user. The method operates upon a docket of criminal cases, typically those without an in person trial. The invention allows real time collaboration between attorneys, prosecutors, and the court staff as modules. The attorney module has a tickler system that reminds the attorney about cases with open documents via email. The administrator module displays defendant data for a case. The prosecutor module generates a quick recommendation for disposition using information about a defendant placed into a template.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority to the pending provisional application 61/729,943 filed on Nov. 26, 2012 which is owned by the same inventors. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The method for lawyers to communicate to courts generally relates to courthouse automation and more specifically to automating the opening, review, and disposition of criminal cases excluding in person trial. More particularly, the method operates from a lawyer initiating a case by entering appearance and requesting a recommendation, a clerk managing the case, and a judge disposing of the case upon a computer connected to the Internet. 
         [0003]    Until the time of the code of Hammurabi, people resolved disputes exclusively orally in front of judges. Building upon Hammurabi&#39;s code, disputes is received resolution more and more using written legal codes administered by judges. The Romans established their legal code and imposed it in various parts of their empire, including the British Isles. As the Roman Empire faded, some of its institutions remained and became part of local government. Following the Norman Invasion of England, judges in England received appointment to the bench of their territory and served in the territory, often far removed from the influence of London. From time to time, the judges gathered in London and exchanged views on areas of the law before them. In time, these discussions made the law common to all in England, hence the Common Law derived from the decisions of judges passed down through cases nowadays published by various reporting services. 
         [0004]    Though laws appear in writing and take form in written cases, facts and people vary from case to case. A judge then has to apply the written law to the facts and people before him. The application though of a law may vary slightly from case to case. Cases can be brought at many levels from the national to the local and levels in between. The local level may also include municipal court that usually covers traffic and ordinance violations. As the number of vehicles and drivers has grown, the traffic violations have grown proportionally, and some say exponentially. Such violations may accumulate making hearing each case before a municipal judge impractical because of the shear number of cases. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0005]    Over the years, programmers and law practice management consultants have made various practice management systems and courthouse automation systems. The practice management systems provide for deadline tracking, timekeeping, and other related functions in a law office. The courthouse automation systems allow court staff to open, to manage, and to track cases filed is and transferred to a specific court. The federal courts have the PACER system, or Public Access to Court Electronic Records, that allows for attorneys to file cases electronically. The federal court staffs then manage and track the cases on PACER as they progress through litigation. PACER receives documents in PDF form from attorneys, clerks, and judges who create them and then upload them into a case file upon PACER. The PACER system though does not create documents in a case. 
         [0006]    In select counties, the counties have incorporated municipalities within them which have ordinances and courts. From time to time, the public violates the ordinances, most often traffic related, and members of the public receive citations or tickets listing the ordinance violation and a court date. As these remain ordinance violations, incarceration as a remedy for the violation appears unlikely. However, the courts still seek to deter repeated violations of the ordinances and to foster compliance with them. 
         [0007]    Municipalities have prosecutors by their incorporation statutes. The prosecutors have discretion in bringing cases before a municipal judge and in recommending handling of the cases. Prosecutors, through their clerks and staff, receive the violation tickets for disposition. Because the tickets reflect ordinance violations and prosecutors have discretion with their role, prosecutors manage the disposition of tickets in a timely manner. The prosecutors conserve their resources and bring to trial a much less number of cases than the number of tickets issued. The prosecutors do so, by issuing, for less serious violations, a recommendation to an alternate charge with a fine. The prosecutors expect attorneys to request the recommendations on behalf of their clients. For example, a motorist may have a ticket for driving 5 m.p.h. over the speed limit, an attorney requests a recommendation, and the prosecutor issues a recommendation for improper parking with a fine and court costs. The motorist is retains the ability to accept or to reject the recommendation. Upon acceptance, the motorist pays the fine and the prosecutor closes the case without a trial. A motorist who rejects the recommendation then risks an assessment of points against a driver&#39;s license and related insurance premium increase should the ticket proceed towards trial. Though this example has shown a recommendation for a municipal traffic ordinance violation, recommendations may apply to other ordinance violations within the scope of the prosecutor&#39;s discretion. 
         [0008]    The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a method for lawyers to communicate to courts and to manage their practices that allows for creation, tracking, and disposition of recurring cases. The present invention allows lawyers to open cases, request recommendations, and manage the case from their office and allows prosecutors and their staffs to decide upon and to issue recommendations in select cases. The present invention operates in a paper-less environment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Generally, the method for lawyers to communicate to courts has a client browser that communicates in two ways with a web application server that also communicates in two ways to a database. The database stores in excess of 130,000 records. The database also stores procedures for each court system and common functions applicable to any court system. A messaging subsystem provides messages populated with information from database records for delivery through the web application server to the client browser, or user. The present invention operates upon a docket of criminal cases, typically those capable of resolution without an in person trial. The invention allows real time collaboration, that is, a role based work flow, between attorneys, prosecutors, and the court staff as opposed to the existing document system using mail or is portable document format, PDF, files. The invention utilizes three modules: attorney module, administrator module, and prosecutor module. The prosecutor module generates a quick recommendation for disposition using information about a defendant from his attorney placed into a template. 
         [0010]    The attorney module requires a defense attorney to enter his state bar number and an electronic signature. The attorney must approve his entry of appearance by clicking upon the CONFIRM button displayed upon his screen. The present invention will operate with a tickler system that reminds the attorney about cases with open documents as the tickler sends an email to the attorney who has subscribed to the invention. The tickler utilizes the statuses of Unconfirmed, Confirmed, and Accepted. Unconfirmed means a case or a document exists upon the invention but an attorney has not yet consented to the case or the document. Confirmed means that a case or document upon the invention has received the consent of an attorney to that case or specific document. Accepted means that the method of the invention has received the attorney&#39;s consent to a document and the document itself. The present invention operates upon user fees charged for each transaction to defense attorneys. The present invention allows for electronic mailing of invoices and supports credit card payment for them. In an alternate embodiment, the attorney module supports advertising to subscribers. 
         [0011]    The administrator module has a screen that displays defendant data for a case including the ticket number and charge title. Select court systems may adopt the invention voluntarily, usually for cost savings. Other court systems may appear on a list of courts supported by the invention to urge the court systems to adopt the invention officially. This module provides prefilled documents related to a case such as pleadings like a complaint or an answer. These documents already include information from the ticket or other charging is document and information about a subscribing attorney. This module checks new cases for correct information related to the attorney and the case. An attorney not subscribed to the invention may not view documents and an attorney not associated to a particular case may not view those specific documents. However, an attorney associated to the case may thus view the documents of the case. The administrator module operates upon a role based work flow. 
         [0012]    The administrator module also operates the security for the present invention. The present invention includes forms based authentication using a security certificate, such as that provided by MS.net. A user, typically a subscribing attorney, logs in under SSL, secure socket layer, encryption. Once authenticated, a user sees a web application as the front end to the invention operating upon a web server. As users are people, sometimes people forget or lose their passwords. When that happens, the invention displays FORGOT PASSWORD to the user and denies the user access. The user may then request a hint of the existing password or a new password. The administrator module includes a password recovery utility that queries a user with preselected questions and reissues a password. 
         [0013]    The prosecutor module begins with a secure login screen. The prosecutor may then view an annotated record of a case. The prosecutor may add additional notes to a case. Over time, the prosecutor builds a forms bank or templates for often used documents and the forms bank remains with the present invention. The forms bank allows for “quick recommendations” that the prosecutor uses to increase the number of recommendations issued in a time interval. Once the prosecutor reviews a case and the pleadings, the prosecutor may issue a recommendation to a defense attorney. 
         [0014]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features is of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. The present invention also includes a rolling backup of the three modules typically each hour, interactive communication between the judicial branch, that is, the administrator and the attorney subscribers, subscription access to avoid entry into the invention by pro se persons, interfacing with Sharepoint™ by Microsoft® and PDF generating software utilities and with asynchronous Java script XML or AJAX. The invention provides private case management for attorneys and law firms where the management allows for creation of pleadings and control of them. The management has an electronic link to court systems selected by the attorney. The present invention operates upon a world wide web platform which allows access from locations outside of an office. Within its functions, the present invention uses tabs and folders that lead to communications with prosecutors and others through an instant message system, a chronology/diary/alibi sheet about a case, and creation of select documents. Within its procedures, the present invention links the documents and messages to a case through an index that tracks created documents and emails of a case. The functions of the invention also provide a real time calendar and the procedures of the invention perform backups of the entire database and allow users to backup their portions of the database. The backup procedures also allow users to select and to customize the purging of email and documents. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached. 
         [0015]    Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with is the accompanying drawings. Before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0016]    One object of the present invention is to provide a method for lawyers to communicate to courts that allows authorized parties to initiate, manage, and dispose of a case without use of paper records. 
         [0017]    Another object is to provide such a method for lawyers to communicate to courts that allows a clerk and a judge to utilize templates to dispose of select cases. 
         [0018]    Another object is to provide such a method for lawyers to communicate to courts that allows a court system to accelerate its case disposition at less cost than in present systems. 
         [0019]    Another object is to provide such a method for lawyers to communicate to courts that allows lawyers to manage their open cases from filing to closing. 
         [0020]    Another object is to provide such a method for lawyers to communicate to courts that allows for interactive communication between the judiciary and the attorneys. 
         [0021]    Another object is to provide such a method for lawyers to communicate to courts in real time without the need for postal mail or PDF emailing. 
         [0022]    These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific is objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    In referring to the drawings, 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  provides a flow chart of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  shows a screenshot of the operating buttons of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  shows a screenshot of prosecutor&#39;s recommendation template of the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  describes a screenshot of the user administration screen of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates a screenshot of a case status listing; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  provides a screenshot of a template for opening a case; and, 
           [0030]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show two halves of a screenshot of a template for issuing a recommendation. 
       
    
    
       [0031]    The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0032]    The present art overcomes the prior art limitations by providing a method for lawyers to communicate to courts and to manage their practices, primarily in criminal cases such as ordinance violations.  FIG. 1  shows the flow of the present invention beginning with its secure database  10  that generally locates upon a remote computer server. The remote computer server is generally spaced away from the user a substantial distance but communicate to the user over the internet. The database allows the three classes of users, as at  13 , attorneys  13   a , administrators-clerks  13   b , and prosecutors  13   c , to fulfill their roles in the disposition of a case. The database begins communications to its users through a messaging subsystem as at  11 . The messaging subsystem provides two way communication from the database  10  to a web application server  12 , or webapp. The webapp allows users to interact with the database in an efficient and usable manner such as through a web browser  19 . The users communicate in real time, that is, without the lag in emailing of PDF files, faxing documents, or mailing documents. The browser provides a visual display of information and instructions to a user for operating the invention as later described. A user may utilize a typical browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft® Internet Explore, and Google® Chrome, and the like. 
         [0033]    The webapp  12  also has inherent functions including user account access, as at  15 , password recovery, as at  16 , and fee calculation as at  17 . The user account access establishes a relationship between the user and the invention. The user account undergoes authentication using a forms based method such as MS.Net with a security certificate, typically an SSL, that follows a user during the entire time of being logged in. The relationship begins with entering the user&#39;s name and associating that to a username and password as later shown in  FIG. 4 . The password recovery function collects answers from the user to three questions and stores those answers. Upon a user failing to enter a password correctly after three attempts, the password recovery function prompts the user to answer the three questions. Successful answers to the three questions allow a user further access into the invention. Unsuccessful answers deny access to the aspiring user. The fee calculation function determines the number of transactions by a user through the webapp to the database. Then it applies a rate, typically a fee per transaction, to the number of transactions and debits the user&#39;s account for the charge. The debiting can be performed through is a credit card, ACH transfer, allotment, monthly invoice, and the like. If the debiting fails, the fee calculation function sends a warning to the user. After three calendar days without proper payment, the fee calculation function sends a command to the password recovery function for it to disable the user&#39;s password. 
         [0034]    Upon successfully entering a password, the user then accesses the database  10  to operate the invention. The database performs two groups of tasks: functions  20  and procedures  30 . The functions  20  generally create and process data, formerly in document form, from the user through the database to various other users such as the prosecutor  13   c , clerk  13   b , and the defense attorney  13   a . Any of the three identified users may utilize the functions  20  to send data to the other users. The functions begin with creating a document as at  21 . This document, primarily in electronic form, though of a format familiar to the users, establishes a case for the clerk to receive and the prosecutor to decide. Typically a user, or defense attorney, enters an appearance and requests a recommendation to start a case as later shown in  FIG. 6 . The document creation function assigns a number to a new case that it keeps until disposition by the prosecutor. The user may utilized a template as at  22  to create the opening documents for a case. The template also includes later documents for the clerk and the prosecutor. With a template filled, the document creation function renders the data into a pre selected format, as later shown in  FIG. 5 , into a fixed form such as a PDF file as at  23 . The document generation function then transmits the PDF file to the other users through the database  10  via email as at  24 . A clerk may also merge or attach discovery documents, police reports, and the like to a case. With a document created and sent to users, a case enters its prosecution phase. During that phase various events happen upon a schedule set by statute, circuit court rule, such as a County Court, and local rule, such as by a prosecutor or judge. The functions  20  allow for tracking of a case&#39;s schedule through a calendar module as at  25 . The calendar tracks the scheduled events in a case, such as hearings and meetings, via direct user entry, through its own date template, and through an automated procedural date set. 
         [0035]    Along with functions  20 , the database  10  also performs select procedures as at  30 . These procedures move a case along towards its disposition and track the position of the case towards that goal. The procedures include a case index  31  that generates and assigns an alphanumeric code to each case upon its creation by a defense attorney user  13   a . An attorney user  13   a , may log into the invention using his bar number or an electronic signature. The invention allows an attorney to utilize an electronic signature later when submitting requests. A clerk user  13   b  may cross reference the code to a ticket number as received the issuing officer. The clerk also checks requests for the correct style of pleading and sends a message to an attorney of a defect in the pleading surfaces. The case index attaches an electronic record to the code of each case. The electronic record packages the documents as at  21   a  previously created through the functions as at  21  and the emails previously created as at  24 . The case index in conjunction with the calendar sends select emails to the users about the status of a case at predetermined intervals or events. The procedures also include a transaction list for each case as at  32 . The transaction list also has the name of a diary or alibi sheet. The transaction list identifies the documents and emails of a case in an order, typically chronological order, and alternatively in defendant name order. The database through the procedures also has a backup as at  33 . The backup duplicates the contents of the database in a second file stored remotely from the server hosting the database and the webapp. The backup may occur on a fixed interval automatically, such as daily, or is alternatively a clerk user  13   b  may manually set the backup interval. The backup of the invention&#39;s database operates as a rolling backup with a transaction log backed up hourly. The backup  33  also has the ability to archive select data as at  34 . The archive procedure removes certain data about cases closed a certain number of years from the database to a third file. The third file is also stored remotely. Eventually, a closed case reaches a second certain age and the closed case has no further effect upon the defendant or the municipality. Upon a case satisfying those two criteria, the archive activates a purge procedure  35 . The purge procedure removes select closed cases permanently from the archive beyond the ability of forensics to retrieve the case. Performing archives and purges on a regular basis reduces the long term data storage requirements of the database for each municipality or court that utilizes it. 
         [0036]    Upon a user accessing the invention as in  12 , the user&#39;s browser as at  19  displays a toolbar  100  to assist the user in operating the invention through the database  10 . The toolbar has a plurality of buttons for a user to press utilizing a computer mouse, not shown. The buttons include the following. A new request button  101  that is only available if the currently logged on user works for a law firm and is in the “Defender” role. A view request button  102  that is available to all users of the site. Clicking on this button brings up a list of the current requests for your company. This is the same list that is presented when first logging on to the site. An upload document button as at  103  allows for attaching one or more documents,  21   a , to a request and is available to all users of the to site. A paste document button, as at  104 , then allows a user to paste portions of text into documents and attach them to a request. All users of the site may access the paste document button and the screen of this button also serves as a basic word processor for creating ad hoc documents. Next, a user admin button, as at  105 , then allows certain select users to manage any user&#39;s account. Select is users activate this button by being currently logged in an administrative role for the site, such as “MuniAdmin”, akin to  13   c , “FirmAdmin”, akin to  13   a , and “Administrator”, akin to  13   b.    
         [0037]    A company admin button, as at  106 , lets a user manage company specific information established in the account setup as at  15 . Select users activate this button by being currently logged in an administrative role for the site, such as “MuniAdmin”, akin to  13   c , “FirmAdmin”, akin to  13   a , and “Administrator”, akin to  13   b . A print button, as at  107 , appears on this toolbar  100  if the current document being viewed has a “printer friendly” version available. Printing a document through this button provides a clean paper copy of the document without the added Web page information commonly printed in a margin. An admin button as at  108  provides the ability to edit and repair any portion of the invention. The admin button  108  only operates for a user logged in as the site administrator. Then a hide from list button, as at  109 , appears on this toolbar  100  when a user views a document pertaining to a request that has reached a final resolution, such as a recommendation being issued or the request being rejected by the court. A user clicking on this button will hide the request from the request List, that is, the specific request does not visibly appear upon a user&#39;s screen, though the request remains in the case index  31 . Upon clicking the hide from list button  109 , the invention then changes the appearance of the button to a show in list button. Next, the show in list button, as at  109   a , appears visible when viewing a document pertaining to a request that has been hidden. Clicking this button will reveal the request and the hide from list button  109  returns to view. 
         [0038]    With various data, names, and case numbers being used, user will seek to find them from time to time. The invention provides a search button, as at  110 , that all users may see and provides to any of them the ability to search for a is particular defendant, client, or transaction by entering particular search data such as the Request ID, Defendant Last Name, Defendant First Name, License No., Case No., Ticket No., and the like. Performing such a search will locate the requested information, in the case index  31 , even if the case has hidden status. The present invention often displays cases in list format as later shown in  FIG. 5 . A user may seek to move within the list using the previous case button  111 , shown as a left arrow, and the next case button  112 , shown as a right arrow. These two buttons provide the user the ability to sequentially move to the previous or next case in the current request list. This eliminates the need to return to the request list to select the next case to perform an action on. Browsing the request list occurs as upon a continuous scroll so that when a user reaches the end of the list, it will start browsing from the beginning of the list again. When using the search procedure  110  mentioned above, the previous case button  111  and the next case button  112  allow a user to browse the results of the search for a manual match to the sought after case, name, or request. And to the right of the next case button, the toolbar  100  includes a search box  113  that receives alphanumeric input from a user which serves as the argument for a search command into the database. 
         [0039]    Upon selecting the view button  102 , a user logged in as a clerk or prosecutor views the company preferences screen  114  as in  FIG. 3 . This screen allows for entry, editing, and capture of text that recurs in the documents of a clerk or a prosecutor. The company preferences screen provides a section for default amendment text as at  115  where an amendment alters a municipal charge to a lesser offense typically. This section includes a title bar as at  116  that has instructions and a pull down menu for previously loaded blocks of text. The previously loaded blocks of text appear in the display window  117  when a title is selected through the title bar  116 . For the first block of text loaded and is later additional blocks of text, the company preferences screen has an add/update button as at  118  generally towards the right of the display window. This placement catches the eye of a user who reads from left to right. Should a block no longer be needed, a user highlights the block with a mouse and then clicks a remove button as at  119 . The remove button then instructs the database to delete the block. 
         [0040]    Though a lesser offense appears favorable to a defendant, a prosecutor may impose conditions in an amendment. The company preferences screen  114  allows a prosecutor to add conditions as at  120 . Such conditions are within the ordinances and statutes involved in a case and within the prosecutor&#39;s discretion. Prosecutors thus have flexibility and creativity in their conditions. This section includes a second title bar as at  121  that has instructions for conditions and a pull down menu of previously loaded conditions in text form. The previously loaded blocks of text appear in the display window  117  when a condition title is selected through the second title bar  121 . For the first condition loaded and later additional conditions, this portion of the company preferences screen also has an add/update button as at  118 . As above, the add/update button has its placement at the right as shown which catches the eye of a user who reads from left to right. Should a condition no longer be needed, a user highlights the condition with a mouse and then clicks a remove button as at  119 . The remove button then instructs the database to delete the condition. 
         [0041]    But not all matters can be reduced to a lesser offense dispensed with by mail. Select matter dispositions may still required the appearance of a defendant, or alternatively, his defense counsel. The company preferences screen  114  has a portion for text related to recommendations mandating an appearance as at  122 . This portion of the screen includes a condensed set of word processing functions as shown at  123 . These functions include the abilities is to adjust typeface, line spacing, and numbering typically required in court documents. Beneath the word processing functions, the portion  122  has a window  124  that displays the text as entered by the user, typically the prosecutor  13   c . Though this figure shows sample text, other text may be provided by the prosecutor at his discretion. In writing customized recommendations, prosecutors may have to revise text. A prosecutor revises text by highlighting a portion of the text with a mouse and then clicking an erase button as at  125 . The erase button then removes so selected text. 
         [0042]    Other matters can be dispensed with a payment of a fine by the defendant. Beneath the mandatory appearance section  122 , the company preferences screen  114  has a portion for text related to recommendations of fine payment as at  126 . This portion of the screen also includes a condensed set of word processing functions  123  and a window  124  that displays the text as entered by the user, typically the prosecutor  13   c . Though this figure shows sample text in bold print, other text may be provided by the prosecutor at his discretion without bold print. In writing customized recommendations of a fine payment, prosecutors may have to revise text, also through the erase button  125  as described above. 
         [0043]    Having viewed the various sections and portions of the company preference screen  114 , a user may have made changes or edits to any one of them. To post the changes or edits into the database, a user must save them by clicking the save preferences button as at  126 . Upon clicking the save preferences button, the database accepts the text of the sections and portions for recurring use in various cases as selected by the clerks  13   b  and the prosecutors  13   c  subsequently. Sometimes, changes or edits may become encumbered or burdensome where a cleaning of the slate benefits a user. To do so, a user clicks a reset page button  127 . Upon clicking the reset page button, is the windows  124  become blank again and ready for revisions. 
         [0044]    Various users  13  access and operate the invention through their browsers  19 , webapp  12 , and related functions as at  11 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17 . The invention defines its authorized users through a user administration screen as at  128  in  FIG. 4 . This screen begins with a list of default users as at  129  such as municipality  13   b ,  13   c , and law firm  13   a . This list has a drop down menu portion for an administrator to select for the appropriate class of user. Upon selecting a class of user, the screen displays additional fields for input of data to establish a bona fide user  13  of the invention  1 . The additional fields include a first name field  130 , a last name field  131 , a password field  132  and a verify the password field  132   a , a logon ID field  133 , an email address field  134 , a bar number field  135 , and a roles portion  136 . 
         [0045]    The first name field and the last name field allow for entry of letter characters of a person&#39;s name. Preferably these two fields allow for up to 25 characters and automatically capitalize the first letter of each field. The password field  132  accepts a combination of at least eight alphanumeric characters with at least one letter and at least one number. The password verify field  132   a  requires the user to enter the password again from field  132  which confirms that the user has keyed in the characters correctly and can remember the password. Unlike other fields, the password characters do not display in the password field  132  and the password verify field  132   a . The database now associates a password to the user&#39;s personal name. For additional security, the screen requires a logon ID  133  with a default logon ID provided as first initial and last name of the user from those two preceding fields. At the discretion of a site administrator, a user may selected a logon ID of their choice. For communications from the database to a user and between users associated to a case, this screen requests a user&#39;s email address in the email field  134 . This is field allows for up to 25 characters including the @ and .symbols. Depending upon the user type selected earlier, as in  129 , this screen requests a bar number as at  135 . The typical users for this include attorneys from a law firm,  13   a , and the prosecutors from a municipality,  13   c.    
         [0046]    Also, based upon the type of user select, this screen displays roles as at  136 . For a municipality, the invention foresees the roles of clerk  13   b , municipal administrative person as at  13   d , and prosecutor  13   c . The screen permits a site administrator to select multiple roles by using the CTRL key upon a typical computer keyboard. For a law firm, the invention has the roles of attorney  13   a  and staff (not shown). Having entered the previous requested information, a site administrator creates a user for the invention by clicking an add user button as at  137 . Upon clicking the add user button, the database  10 , password recovery  16 , and account  15  operations receive the data from the screen and create a user&#39;s presence in the database which a user then accesses by the Logon ID and password he enters. From time to time, a user may want to change data about him, such as the password. A user may change his data by requesting the site administrator to open the user administration screen  128  to view the user&#39;s data. The user then provides the new data which the site administrator keys into the appropriate fields overwriting previous information. The user then reviews the updated data and clicks an update data button as at  138  to send the revised data to the database as before. And from time to time, a user record may become encumbered or have other issues so much that the record requires recreation. A site administrator may then remove a user from access to the database by clicking the reset form button as at  127 . Doing so removes the data once associated to a logon id and lets the site administrator create a new user from the beginning. 
         [0047]      FIG. 5  shows a screenshot upon after conducting a search  110  through is the toolbar  100 . The search results appear on a screen display in tabular form with various settings as the header of the table of information. The header includes a customize page button  139 , a start up view menu as at  140 , and an instruction as at  141 . Upon clicking the customize page button  139 , a user may adjust the columns of information, later described, that display upon the screen and their order of display from left to right. Upon establishing a page layout, a user may save the layout by clicking the customize page button again which saves it under a name provided by the user. The page name then appears in the start up view menu  140  to the right of the customize page button. The start up view menu lists various page names and also criteria upon which default searches into the database may be performed by a user. The criteria will be later explained. The customized page provides information in tabular form and includes an instruction as at  141  to guide a user to see the information of a particular case. The instruction here shown guides the user to click a request in the table to see the details of the request. As mentioned above, a user may elect to hide, as at  109 , certain cases or requests. The table in the screen shot of  FIG. 5  identifies the number of hidden items as at  142  to prompt a user to consider requests not shown on the screen. Should the user desire to view the hidden requests, a check box as at  143  allows the user to bring the hidden requests back into view. The table of information has various columns and statuses, as later described, however a user may select a status for sorting the requests and the screen shot provides a reminder of that sort criterion as at  144 . 
         [0048]    The statuses of a request include the following: all  140   a , pending  140   b , accepted  140   c , recommendation  140   d , unconfirmed  140   e , and rejected  140   f . The all status calls up requests for display that have not been hidden. The pending status calls up requests that the municipality and its staff have not yet closed. The accepted status, shown here, calls up requests where a defendant has accepted a recommendation, typically upon payment of a fine or other lesser penalty than initially charged. The recommendation status occurs before the accepted status and shows recommendations issued to attorneys for defendants but not yet accepted. The unconfirmed status shows requests without a recommendation received yet or requests requiring additional information from any party involved. And the rejected status shows a request that the prosecutor has rejected request for a recommendation. Rejections occur because of defects in a request on behalf of a defendant from an attorney to the prosecutor, an issue in a properly filed request, an offense no longer suitable for recommendation, and the like. Each status has a radio button adjacent to it, here shown towards the left, that allows a user to sort the tabular information and the sort criterion appears as at  144 . Typically, an attorney user  13   a  confirms or approves his entry of appearance upon filing of a case or request with the invention. An incomplete case or request triggers an unconfirmed status in the database. The invention also sends an email to an attorney user regarding any unconfirmed or un-submitted cases and requests. The email operates from a tickler system that checks the database on an interval for incomplete requests. 
         [0049]    Having seen some requests, a user act on requests in the table. A user may accept requests as at  145  or hide requests as at  109   a . The button  145  allows a user to accept requests that the user has designated as later described while the hide button  109   a  allows a user to hid requests of the user&#39;s designation that the user does not want to see going forward. 
         [0050]    The table of information in this screenshot has select columns. This description proceeds from left to right as in  FIG. 5 . The first column provides a check box for a user to accept, as at  140   c , one request. The second column, to the right of the first column, also has a check box but for a user to hide a request as at  143   a . Requests that become hidden no longer appear on the screen but do increment the count of hidden items as at  142 . The third column, as at  146 , to the right of the second column, provides an indicator for supporting documents associated with a request. The supporting documents merge with the case file and usually come from police reports, discovery, and the like. Here the indicator appears as a paperclip, though the inventor foresees alternate symbols. The fourth column to the right of the support document indicator has the identification number of a request, as at  147 , or request ID. The database tracks all of its requests in serial number order assigned sequentially. Preferably the request ID has four digits however, the inventor foresees additional digits in the serial number for municipalities with higher volumes of cases. Each request also has its request date as at  148  that indicates the filing date of the request, that is, the date of its receipt by the municipality, typically the clerk. To the right of the request date is a column for status, as at  140   a - f , as described above. A user, such as a prosecutor, sets the status of each request by opening each and reviewing it. The seventh column, that is, to the right of the status column, provides the recommendation time as at  148   a . The recommendation time shows when the prosecutor, or his authorized agent, such as a clerk, issued a recommendation for a request. Adjacent to the recommendation time column, the table has the requestor ID column as at  133  that identifies who has submitted the request, such as one of the users,  13 , usually a defense attorney  13   a . Each request also has a defendant person associated to it as at  149 . The defendant person has his or her name displayed, typically last name before first name on the same line as the associated request ID. Typically, one defendant name is listed. In the event a matter has multiple defendants, each defendant has a separate request ID with individual names. Adjacent to the defendant column  149  is a license column as at  149   a . The license column allows for a user, such as a defense attorney, to enter a defendant&#39;s driver&#39;s license number. The license number serves as further identification of a defendant and also allows the municipality, or its designee, to procure the driving record of a defendant from the state traffic infringement database. Adjacent to the license column, the eleventh column provides for noting the court date as at  150  of each request. Initially, the ticketing officer places the court date on a ticket. Upon a defendant presenting a ticket to his attorney, the attorney is made aware of the court date and may enter it into the database during creating and submitting a request. A user, such as a prosecutor, may then sort requests by date to find the oldest requests or those request for a certain court date. After a defendant accepts a recommendation, the prosecutor, through his clerk, completes the bargain and recalls any warrant related to the request as at  151 . However, should a defendant not accept the recommendation or other reason make the request become rejected, as at  140   f , the request ID will show blank in the warrant recalled column. Having described these twelve columns, a user may sort the requests based upon any of the twelve columns. The database supports such sorting of requests through its webapp  12  that displays the information to the browser of the user as at  19 . 
         [0051]    Upon clicking the new request button  101  upon the toolbar  100 , an attorney or law firm user creates a request through the screen shown in  FIG. 6 . An attorney  13   a , or other law firm user, creates a request by entering the defendant&#39;s name as at  149 . The name format is in three windows of last name, first name, and middle initial. If available, the user also enters the defendant&#39;s date of birth as at  149   b  and the defendant&#39;s driver&#39;s license number as at  149   a . The name and license numbers feed into the table of information previously shown in  FIG. 5 . The user also selects a court from a drop down menu adjacent to “Court Of” in  FIG. 6  as at  149   d . The database then provides a current date as at  148  and a current time as at  148   a  that the database then associates with the request. Beneath the date, the user enters the court date as at  150  usually from the ticket itself presented by the defendant or a statement by the defendant. The user then selects at least one charge from a drop down menu as at  152 . Multiple counts or charges can be inserted in the charges section through the menu  152 . The charge can be selected from either the traffic offenses drop down selection list,  152 , or by clicking on a non-traffic related charges check box as at  153  and the list will display non-traffic related charges programmed into the database. If the charge sought by the user does not appear in the drop down selection list, the user may enter, or type, the charge in the line below the drop down selection list. Following selection of a charge, the user enters the ticket number as at  154 , the case number as at  154   a , and the charge date as at  154   b . The user does so with a combination of a computer mouse and keyboard. The ticket number, case number, and charge date are generally found upon the ticket. The user may also check a box as at  154   c  if the ticket involved a traffic accident. After selecting or entering the charge(s) and entering the data on each charge (i.e. ticket number, case number, offense date), the user then clicks an “Add Case/Charge” button, as at  154   d , after each charge to insert that charge into the charges section. The charges associated with a ticket then appear in a charges window as at  155 , in list form. If a user seeks to remove a charge from the list, the user selects it by clicking on it with a mouse cursor, and then clicking a “Remove Case/Charge” button as at  154   e . If after entering a charge, the user would like to modify or change the data just entered, the user selects the charge by clicking on it, and the data fields above the charges list will be repopulated. The user can then make the changes in those data fields by clicking an “Update Case/Charge” button as at  154   f . Upon doing so, the database will update that charge with the changes in the charges list. 
         [0052]    From time to time, a charge has unusual attributes. Additional information about a charge can be added to a request  147  by a user clicking an “Other Information” check box as at  156 , and then typing the desired text in a text box below as at  157 . The text box allows information up to 250 characters. The information typed in this section will appear on the attorney&#39;s Entry of Appearance and Request for Recommendation. If a user would like to submit information to the court or prosecutor not suitable for appearing on the Entry, then use the “Notes Tab” after submission of the Request. A user may also utilize the “Upload Document” and “Paste Document” features to submit additional documentation. The screen also includes a check box for a defendant through his attorney to request recall of warrants connected to the ticket, as at  151 . The attorney checks the recall box, as at  151 . Through his attorney, a defendant may also request disclosure from the prosecuting attorney by checking the box as at  158 . After entering the preceding information into the database, a user may have to clear the information for many reasons. The “Reset Form” button will clear the information from the screen or form, as at  127 . Once a user has entered the information required by the screen or at the option of the user, the user clicks the “Submit Request” button as at  159  to submit the request to the database and then on to the clerk  13   b  and the prosecutor  13   c.    
         [0053]    The database then maintains the request for a prosecutor  13   c  to view upon logging in. Once logged in, a prosecutor views an annotated list of requests as previously shown in  FIG. 5 . At his discretion, a prosecutor may grant a recommendation to a specific request. The prosecutor clicks upon the line of a request in the list which displays the data of a request from  FIG. 6 . The prosecutor then clicks a recommend button on the screen using his mouse which displays the screen shown in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B.  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B show the fields a prosecutor utilizes to create a recommendation for a defendant return to his attorney for review and implementation. Over time, a prosecutor may build a bank of forms or templates for the frequent recommendations issue. The recommendation begins by stating the defendant&#39;s name as at  149  towards the top of the screen, shown in  FIG. 7A , and with the defendant&#39;s attorney&#39;s name below it as at  133 . The database  10  provides this information as previously entered. Beneath the attorney&#39;s name, the screen has the request number  147  selected by the prosecutor. The database provides the charge involved in the request as at  152 . The charge appears with its title, ticket number  154 , case number  154   a , or a None entry. Beneath the charge menu  152 , this screen has a templates section as at  160  which allows a prosecutor to select a standard recommendation for a charge which the database will then populate with date upon a recommendation form. The template section operates upon previously created templates. To create a template, a prosecutor  13   c  proceeds through the fields of the recommendation form after reviewing instructions as at  160   a . The instructions include that an amendment can be chosen from a drop down menu  116  and used as they are, or edited in the box  117  below and custom amendments that are typed in can be saved or updated for future use by checking the save update box  126  and a warning that default system amendment may be edited but not permanently modified. The drop down menu or title bar  116  list a title for an amendment and has a text box  117  below that displays the text of an amendment. Beneath the text box, the screen has a check box for the defendant&#39;s plea as at  161  to the charge and a check in the box indicates a guilty plea. Beneath the plea box  161 , the screen has various remedies allowed for an amendment. The first remedy is jail time as at  162  measured in days selected from a drop down menu or entered from a keyboard. Next is a fine amount as at  163  also selected from a drop down menu or keyboard entry. Then another remedy is to suspend the execution of jail time, fine imposition, or both as at  164 . The suspended execution  164  includes a drop down menu as at  164   a  to indicate a certain number of days in jail, a drop down menu as at  164   b  to indicate a certain amount of a fine, and a drop down menu as at  164   c  to indicate the delay time in months before starting jail, fine, or both. Each drop down menu includes an adjacent text box for keyboard entry of an alternate amount. Then another remedy is to suspend imposing a sentence for a certain time as at  165 . The suspended imposition includes a dropdown menu to select how many months before a defendant must serve a sentence. 
         [0054]    Municipal courts have their operating costs called court costs. The court costs generally fall upon defendants and are adjusted from time to time pursuant to statute and local ordinances. Another remedy is that the defendant pay the court costs as at  166  where a prosecutor clicks a check box to indicate that. The court costs also include a text box for a prosecutor to adjust the court costs amount. 
         [0055]    For certain offenses, usually lesser, a prosecutor may exercise a remedy of dismissing a case but upon payment of court costs shown by a check box as at  167 . This remedy lists the typical court costs amount but also provides a text box for the prosecutor to adjust the amount. And, a prosecutor upon reviewing the case and following negotiation with the defense attorney may elect not to prosecute a case any further as at  168 . Such an election is called a nolle prosequi. 
         [0056]    Having reviewed the charge and the various remedies, a prosecutor may save his selections for future use by clicking the save/update box or button as at  126  generally beneath the template box  160  as shown in  FIG. 7B . Prosecutors, being people, may have to adjust the components of a recommendation. A prosecutor may do so regarding amending the charge by clicking a reset button as at  127  below the templates line  160 . Upon doing so, the database returns the remedies to their default settings and removes all checks from the boxes on this screen. From time to time, a prosecutor may want, or even need, to remove a saved amendment. The prosecutor removes an amendment by clicking the remove button as at  119  immediately below the reset button  127 . 
         [0057]    Amendments and their remedies may come with conditions. The conditions appear generally below the remedies on this screen in  FIG. 7B .  FIG. 7B  shows the conditions appearing below the nolle prosequi check box as at  168  at the end of  FIG. 7A . To create a template for a condition, a prosecutor  13   c  proceeds over the remedies of the amendment to review a second set of instructions as at  160   a . The instructions include that a condition can be chosen from a drop down menu  121  and used as they are, or edited in the box  117  below and custom conditions that are typed in can be saved or updated for future use by checking the save update box  126  and a warning that default system amendment may be edited but not permanently modified. The drop down menu  121  lists a title for a condition with the text box  117  below that displays the text for a condition. The prosecutors may impose conditions on a recommendation within their discretion. The condition may include information or explanation in a supplement text box as at  117   a . The supplement text box allows for approximately 1500 additional characters of information. 
         [0058]    Once again, having reviewed the condition and its explanation, a prosecutor may the condition for future use by clicking the save/update box or button as at  126  generally beneath the remedies, such as the nolle prosequi check box  168 . This save/update box applies solely to conditions. A prosecutor may adjust the components of a condition by clicking a reset button as at  127  below the check box  168 . Upon doing so, the database returns the condition to its default setting and removes all text from the supplementary box  117   a . From time to time, a prosecutor may want, or even need, to remove a condition entirely and may do so by clicking the remove button as at  119  immediately below the reset button  127  also generally beneath the remedies, such as the nolle prosequi check box  168 . 
         [0059]    Having selected or set the amendment and any conditions, a prosecutor then moves the case off the active docket and puts it on a docket for resolution as amended. The present invention sends a tickler email to an attorney user for a case and informs him of whether the prosecutor has accepted the request or alternatively rejected the request with a reason. The prosecutor selects a cause date as at  169 , beneath the conditions section, and selects either Continue for Payment or Continue for Appearance, as at  169   a , and assigns a court date using the adjacent calendar button  169   b.    
         [0060]    After viewing and completing the above described amendment and condition sections, a prosecutor may save an entire recommendation as a template, see  160 , by checking the box for “Save this recommendation as a template” as at  160   b  at the bottom of the form displayed on a screen. The database then prompts the prosecutor to provide a name and description for the saved recommendation which will appear in the future on the template line as at  160 . 
         [0061]    Having viewed and completed the above sections or utilized a template, the prosecutor clicks an add to recommendation button as at  137 . Clicking this button  137  moves the selections of  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B on to the request  147  in the database. The prosecutor may complete the sections or use a template and add to the recommendation again by clicking the add button  137 . Once the recommendation satisfies the prosecutor, the prosecutor clicks a submit recommendation button as at  159  and it doing so prevents alteration of the recommendation for a specific request on the database. The database then collects the information from the request and the recommendation and merges the information into a recommendation suitable for paper printing. The prosecutor reviews the recommendation in this format and if there are no changes, confirms the recommendation. Upon confirmation, the database  10  takes the created document  21  and emails it  24  from the prosecutor  13   c  to the defense attorney  13   a  through the messaging subsystem  11 . The defense attorney then accesses his account on the web app server  12  through his browser  19  to view the recommendation. The defense attorney then presents the recommendation to his client for acceptance. 
         [0062]    From the aforementioned description, a method for lawyers to communicate to courts has been described. The method for lawyers to communicate to courts is uniquely capable of creating recommendations to dispose of municipal offenses electronically and of creating and tracking cases and their documents. The method for lawyers to communicate to courts and its various components may be written in various code languages, including but not limited to, Sharepoint™ by Microsoft® and PDF generating software utilities and with asynchronous Java script XML or AJAX, C++, Visual Basic, UNIX, FORTRAN, COBOL, Assembly, and the like. 
         [0063]    Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments have been described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0064]    Various operations have been described as multiple discrete operations, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention, however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation. 
         [0065]    Moreover, in the specification and the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” “third” and the like —when they appear—are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. 
         [0066]    The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0067]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Therefore, the claims include such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.