Judge Francine B. Goldberg was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Commission on Technology and the Courts for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, according to a Feb. 2 news release.
Goldberg said she is honored to serve on the commission.
“At this pivotal time in our state, with COVID still in full force, I am committed to the important work of modernizing court operations statewide, enhancing efficiencies, and increasing methods of access to courts and transparency of courts’ proceedings through technology,” Goldberg said in the release.
Goldberg has served as a judge in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court since December 2014. As a judge, she adopted technological innovations as a way to improve the courtroom experience for litigants and lawyers, according to the release. A proponent of technology in the justice system, Goldberg led efforts to develop CourtConnect, a free mobile app designed to connect litigants and attorneys to the Domestic Relations Court. CourtConnect provides the public with quick, easy, 24/7 on-the-go access to court-related information through mobile devices, the release stated.
This form of cutting-edge technology was the first of its kind for a domestic relations court in Ohio, and possibly the first in the United States, according to the release.
“It is exciting for our court to be in the forefront of this innovative electronic application,” Goldberg said.
As a former Cuyahoga County assistant prosecuting attorney and the director of Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, technology has always been her passion, the release said. While an assistant prosecuting attorney, Goldberg developed the Shaq Shield – Ohio ICAC iPhone App featuring Shaquille O’Neal – to protect children on the Internet. This was the first law enforcement-approved Sex Offender Registry for mobile devices, according to the release. Shaq Shield was designed to help parents protect their children from online predators, and to provide Internet safety tips to monitor their children’s Internet activity and flag signs of dangerous communication.
Goldberg said she is looking forward to working with commission members in support of transforming the way justice is administered in Ohio, and to increase efficiencies and access to justice.