Amador Superior Court has won two consecutive Kleps Awards.

Thanks to the hard work of our all our staff, we have won our second consecutive Kleps award.

Created in 1991 in honor of Ralph N. Kleps, the first administrative director of the California courts, the Kleps Awards recognize and celebrate the contributions made by individual courts to the administration of justice. The awards are given in five categories, according to the number of authorized judicial positions in each group. Programs nominated for the awards are judged on five criteria. Programs must be:

• A project of a California court (any level),
• Innovative,
• Transferable to other courts in the state (Supreme Court excepted),
• In operation for at least one year, and
• Improve the administration of the courts and reflect the intent of at least one of the Judicial Council’s long-range goals (access, fairness, and diversity; independence and accountability; modernization; quality of justice and service to the public; education; technology).

Internet/Intranet Systems: Superior Courts of Sacramento and Amador Counties

The Web sites provide more than a thousand pages of information, from recommendations on appropriate court apparel to child-care service and traffic tickets. While other courts have provided similar information, the use of standard templates, forms, and software packages provides a scalable process that allows the easy development of Web sites for both large and small courts.

2002 Award: Category 1: Courts With 2-6 AJPs

Amador Becomes Its Own Employer: Superior Court of Amador County

When the court became its own employer July 1, 2001, it successfully absorbed all fiscal and administrative functions from the county in a rigorous one-year project. Without additional funding resources, the court established a strategic plan and implemented all phases of the project in one year—absorbing accounting, payroll, human resources, and procurement functions. The court became an employer in the eyes of the federal and state governments, opened a bank account, and researched and implemented fiscal systems. It also created fiscal and personnel policies and procedures, new classification plans, and has completed labor negotiations.