During a public hearing before his approval by the Judiciary Committee to succeed Richard Robinson as chief judge, the 46-year-old Mullins predicted a future in which jurors have notebook computers and all courthouses have Wi-Fi, which visitors, often under stressful conditions could access through their handheld devices.
"Getting our criminal and juvenile matters to be 100 percent paperless will be a top priority of mine," Mullins said during a two-hour hearing and committee vote. "This goal will no doubt require a significant upgrade of our underlying technological infrastructure, however we must one way or another bring the judicial branch fully into the 21st century."
Remote court hearings, which became a mainstay during the pandemic, should continue when needed, he said. The review system for traffic tickets as well as the dispute resolution program for small claims should be online and not in-person. The courts' language interpretation system also needs to become virtual so language experts can work in multiple courthouses without having to drive around the state.
Right now, only Torrington Superior Court has public internet connections, said Mullins . He called it "unacceptable" and a threat to the public's faith in the judicial system. "Now is the time to bring the wireless world into our facilities," Mullins said, promising to develop a more modern, easy to navigate judicial website.
Jurors with court-owned computer notebooks could quickly upload evidence during trials. The branch also needs to assess the dozens of courthouses and possibly repair or consolidate some, Mullins said. "Technology will never take the place of a real person on the other end of the line, a clerk helping a distraught person at the window, or the judicial marshals keeping our court houses safe," he said. "At our core, we are a public-facing institution and we must remember that we are dealing with real people with real problems and often on one of the worst days of their lives.
Mullins , who was appointed to the high court in 2017 by Gov. Dannel Malloy , said that between outdated technology and aging court houses, Connecticut is in dire need of system-wide upgrades, massive renovations and even new buildings. He told the committee to expect major requests for funding.
He called the mission of the judicial branch to "serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving the matters before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner. Mullins wants to "leverage technology so that we can access efficiency and transparency with the ultimate goal being to better serve our citizens."
A former Superior Court and Appellate Court judge, Mullins was nominated in August to be chief justice, a role that oversees the entire state court system. Mullins , a Black man, said he respects the career path that was led by others, including Robinson, the first Black chief justice.
"While some may feel that we've done a good job in this state, we had humans in bondage and when we released them from bondage we did it gradually," said Sen. Gary Winfield , committee co-chairman, referring to the state and nation's history of racial discrimination.
"It's front and center for me, remembering the people that came before me," said Mullins , who became a father while still in high school. "Not just my ancestors, but my family. That's just one major system of accountability for me. I have family members who have been on both sides of the law. I've seen what they've gone through."
State Rep. Steve Stafstrom , D- Bridgeport , co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee , recalled that when he became a lawyer 16 years ago, there were the same technology issues in state courts, where lawyers need piles and multiple copies of paper evidence, while federal courts are entirely online. "Our criminal courts are still being run the way they were in the 18th century," Stafstrom said, asking Mullins how long it will take to upgrade the courts and how will the work be paid.
Mullins said that a so-called digital courtroom will soon be located, but it will take "probably a couple of years" to complete other needed upgrades. "With the criminal files, some of the complication is getting all the systems that communicate with the court to use the same platform," Mullins replied. "Police departments, other departments that communicate with the court, those are some of the challenges."
"I think we just have too many courthouses in the state," Stafstrom said, suggesting that judicial districts become consolidated.
Rules of interim appointments made when the General Assembly is not in session require the governor to again sent Mullins' nomination to the legislature when it meets again in January. The lone dissenting committee vote was from conservative state Sen. Rob Sampson, R- Wolcott.
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