In 2004 there were more than 17,000 circuit court cases filed. For each of these cases there is a defendant, a plaintiff, and at least two lawyers who need to know the status of the case. In the past, all parties involved had to visit the office of the county clerk to get this important information. This involved a great deal of work for each party to make the trip to downtown Mt. Clemens, wait in line at the busy Clerk's office, and find the information.

As the population of the county increases, so do the number of court cases filed. Accessing important information about these cases was becoming cumbersome for all involved. To improve the process, the offices of the county clerk, court administration and information technology got together to figure out how to speed up the process and make information readily available to the public.

They quickly determined that the internet was the most effective way to post this information. Together, they set up a system whereby information about circuit court cases can be searched online using the name of a defendant or plaintiff. While this has definitely improved access to information for those involved, there are also definite advantages to others as well.

For instance, a military recruiter can quickly determine whether an applicant has been involved in a court case. Senior citizens looking to make home improvements can check to see whether the contractor they plan to hire has been involved in any business-related litigation. Potential employers can find out whether job candidates have been involved in court cases.

The index includes information about nearly a million cases dating back to 1966 and has made public information much more accessible.