Mission, Vision & Organization
Mission
To assist the judicial branch and others in delivering the highest quality of justice by providing effective and efficient administrative, support, and information services.
Vision
The Administrative Office of the Courts will be a sought after energetic, responsive, and respected service provider/partner to the judicial branch and others in the delivery of justice.
Organization
The Administrative Office of the Courts is organized into six major areas of functionality:
Legislative and Executive Branch Liaison
Staff from the AOC act as point of contact between the judicial branch and the legislative and executive branch agencies. This requires an understanding of courts needs and the ability to communicate them effectively, monitoring activities in the other branches and providing feedback to the courts.
Visit the Legislature's bill tracking to learn more about enacted and proposed bills.
Administrative Services
Administrative services consists of three subdivisions: Financial, Agency & Program Oversight and Facilities Coordination.
Financial operations consist of Budget, Accounting, Filing & Payment Center and the Office of the State Court Collections Enforcement (OSCCE). Budget and accounting services are provided for the AOC as well as for those courts and agencies that do not have resources dedicated to these functions. The Filing and Payment Center is a centralized service provided exclusively in the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center. OSCCE provides collection services to courts for accounts receivables.
Agency & Program Oversight consists of financial and personnel assistance, strategic planning, and archives/records retention for non-judicial agencies which organizationally fall under the AOC umbrella. Two programs, Conflict Counsel Management and Court Interpreters are part of this function.
Facilities Coordination consists of emergency planning, mail processing, Leonard L. Williams Justice Center services coordination, and facilities operations. Continuation of Operations (COOP), security, safety plans, facility renovations and construction all fall within this area.
Court Support Services
Court Support Services are those services provided by the AOC which provide for the maintenance and support of existing court functions. Such functions include judicial education, staff training, human resources, grant assistance, legal research, volunteer programs, archives and records retention and management of bail operations. Support services are closely tied to the needs of the courts via the Council of Court Administrators.
Public Information and Community Outreach
The AOC provides community outreach programs to citizens and institutions of the State such as school districts, the Delaware State Bar Association, public libraries and various independent organizations seeking to educate others about the Delaware Judiciary. Additionally, the AOC provides public information services such as a Pro Se Program and this web site.
Research/Analysis
The AOC provides research and analytical services to the courts. This includes performing and reporting on data quality for the courts, development of a Strategic Plan, Annual Report and responding to informational requests of a statistical or legislative nature. Additionally, Speedy Trial issues are addressed.
Information Technology
The AOC provides all technological assistance to the courts through a division entitled the Judicial Information Center. This division consists of a Development Team, a Business Analysis Team, a Data Administration Team, a Deployment Team and a Help Desk.
