Requests totaling $141,876 came to the Oklahoma Bar Foundation’s grant committee last month from judges at county courts across the state. The OBF’s Court Grant Program is unique not only to Oklahoma, but is the only program like it in the nation. President Jack Brown states, “With court budgets being cut to the bare minimum, these court grants provide much needed assistance for our State’s courts and judges to acquire the technology or other needs in their courtrooms to assist them in hearings and trials.”
Most of the funds for court projects are made possible through Cy Pres awards to the OBF. The grant program provides specific funding for courtroom technology, courtroom capital improvements and extraordinary expenses that cannot be met by existing funding. “The Foundation has been gratified to have been the recipient of Cy Pres funds and has utilized those funds, through its Grants and Awards Program, to meet the fundamental needs of attorneys and litigants to present their legal issues to the Courts. The OBF is proud to help provide statewide support for the administration of justice,” says Grants & Awards Chair Millie Otey. Trustees voted approval of $90,775 in court grant awards at the July 10 Board Meeting.
2015 OBF COURT GRANT AWARDS:
District Court of Pittsburg County = $5,820, digital courtroom recording system
District Court of Stephens County= $12,640, video courtroom arraignment system
District Court of Roger Mills County = $14,110, digital courtroom recording/video system
District Court of Tulsa County = $11,045, netbook computers to be used in automation of case management
District Court of Seminole County = $6,470, digital courtroom sound system
District Court of Harper County = $21,145, courtroom tools/furnishings equipment
District Court of Cotton County = $5,245, digital courtroom recording system
District Court of Muskogee County = $5,525, courtroom video system
District Court of Noble County = $4,250, courtroom digital audio system
District Court Ellis County = $4,525, courtroom digital recording system
Since 2009, the OBF has awarded $543,927 in court grants to 46 different counties.