The Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation recently approved grant awards to 13 district courts across Oklahoma totaling $89,375. The grants range in size from $13,530 to $2,755 for technology equipment that will help to improve access to Oklahoma’s judicial system. The Oklahoma Bar Foundation program is unique in that it provides funding for technology projects to the Oklahoma district and appellate courts that help to promote improved access through administrative processes of the courts. $360,000 has been awarded to 33 different counties since the program was established in 2009.
The Oklahoma Bar Foundation was founded in 1946 and has awarded more than ten million dollars to Oklahoma law-related nonprofits, in just the last thirty years alone, for exclusively public purposes. OBF is the primary grant-making organization in Oklahoma supporting law-related services and education and provides a funding umbrella for many diverse law-related programs and projects. The Oklahoma Bar Foundation provides funding for free legal assistance for the poor and elderly, safe haven for the abused, protection and legal assistance for children, public law-related education programs, including programs for school children, and other activities that improve the quality of justice for all Oklahomans through legal resources. Public purpose Oklahoma Bar Foundation law-related grant awards will be approved later in the year.
OBF Court Grants went to the following district courts:
- District Court of Cimarron County, funding to provide one multi-channel digital court recording system and sound system equipment so the court reporter will be able to do off-site transcriptions without being present at court proceedings, one court reporter is shared by five counties, $6,766.
- District Court of Beaver County, funding to provide two multi-channel digital court recording system and sound system equipment so the court reporter will be able to do off-site transcriptions without being present at court proceedings, one court reporter is shared by five counties, $13,531.
- District Court of Caddo County, funding to provide courtroom audio and video technology equipment, $8,656.
- District Court of Cotton County, funding to provide one court reporting system to replace outdated system to be used by a shared court reporter between two counties, $5,197.
- District Court of Jefferson County, funding to provide one court reporting system to replace outdated system to be used by a shared court reporter between two counties, $5,197.
- District Court of Jackson County, funding to provide courtroom video and projector equipment, $4889.
- District Court of Kay County, funding to provide hearing assist devices for two courtrooms and lighting devices for three courtrooms to complete a prior funded technology project, $2,755.
- District Court of McCurtain County, funding to provide courtroom video arraignment and sound system technology equipment, $8,222.
- District Court of Nowata County, funding to provide audio and visual technology equipment for the main courtroom of the courthouse, $9,199.
- District Court of Oklahoma County, funding to provide four public access computers and software for creation of a new public media center, six public access computers and software have been previously provided by a prior grant award, $7,415.
- District Court of Pontotoc County, funding to provide one court reporting system and portable digital recorders, $5,695.
- District Court of Rogers County, funding to provide three automated projectors for three third floor level courtrooms, $7,000.
- District Court of Washington County, funding to provide audio and visual technology equipment for the main courtroom, $4,853.
For more information on the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and the process to make application for future court or public purpose law-related grants, call (405) 416-7070.