SALISBURY — Rowan County judicial officials, law enforcement and the Family Crisis Council this week launched a domestic violence e-filing system, which is currently available in only nine counties in the state.

The system is provided by the state Administrative Office of the Courts and makes available a safer way for victims of domestic violence to obtain protective orders.

The applicant files the petition, is heard by a judge, and receives signed orders and notification of service on the perpetrator all while remaining in a secure, remote location.

The new system was a collaborative effort by the Rowan County Family Crisis Council, local judges, Salisbury Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Rowan County Clerk of Court’s Office.

Victims will be able to fill out paperwork in a secure location at the Police Department and Sheriff’s Office. Previously, victims went to the Rowan County Courthouse to file a 50-B restraining order.

“It helps a lot because a lot of victims are scared that their abusers will be there,” said Spencer Dixon, resource and media coordinator for the Family Crisis Council.

Those seeking a restraining order will complete a form electronically with an advocate on hand to answer questions.

“Once in the system, the form is auto-populated with the plaintiff’s name. It goes to the clerk’s office, where they make sure it’s right and send it to the judge’s office,” Dixon said.

The petitioner will meet remotely with a judge from a secure, undisclosed location for a hearing.

In the past, the civil summons has been a physical document and a deputy had to locate the defendant and notify him of a summons to appear in court. With the electronic system, any police officer or deputy with access to the system can print the summons and serve it.

The e-filing system saves time and reduces the risk of physical harm to victims seeking legal protection by eliminating the manual handling of paper filings at the courthouse. Judges can view documents and sign orders quickly and more efficiently. The system will send automated email and text messages to alert the proper parties about actions in the case.

Dixon said it’s also important because many cases are continued because law enforcement officers have to hunt down defendants to serve the summons.

“We’re really excited about the whole system,” Dixon said.

He said advocates will be able to go through the process with petitioners in the beginning stages by offering them access to support groups, a shelter, case management, and other services.

“Every person who files will meet with an advocate and have access to resources sooner,” Dixon said. “We always want to make sure wherever they are in the process, they know we are available and ready to help.”

Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes said officers will also have access to the records for informational purposes when they are in the field handling domestic violence cases.

He said there is a space at the police station for domestic violence victims to fill out forms.

In addition to Rowan County, Alamance, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Onslow and Wake counties are fully operational with the domestic violence e-filing system.

The system was started in Alamance County in 2013 and is expanding with funding through a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Once implementation concludes in 2019, the system will be live in 16 counties and serve more than half the state’s population.

Clerk of Court Jeff Barger said the system was started in the counties with the largest volume of domestic violence incidents.

“They approached us to see if we were interested. We had to have the clerk of court, Family Crisis or other advocates, the sheriff’s department and judges. We all had to partner to agree to do this,” Barger said.

He said while in the planning stages, they thought the safest place to send petitioners is away from the courthouse. That way, they could avoid any potential interaction with their alleged abusers.

“It cuts out a lot of paperwork,” Barger said.

He said if petitioners continue to show up at the courthouse to fill out paperwork, clerks will send them to the appropriate location, be it the Salisbury Police Department or Rowan Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m excited about it because I think it will assist in providing better services and safety for victims,” said Rowan District Court Judge Beth Dixon.

Rowan is the newest addition to the system.

“This is good for victims. We get great benefits because it streamlines and automates the system. It makes filing easier but it also allows us to share the filings with the clerk’s office, the police, the sheriff’s office, and the judges,” Dixon said.

The system was rolled out Monday in Rowan County.

“The is the first step in the direction of achieving my ultimate goal, which is to have a family justice center in Rowan County. It is part of the best practices model,” Judge Dixon said.

She said a family justice center is already being done in Asheville, Alamance County, Shelby, High Point, and Hendersonville.

The justice center would be a one-stop shop for victims of domestic violence who would go in a single door, access law enforcement, legal aid, and social service benefits and other services, she said.

She said Rowan County has wonderful agencies that provide those services, but they are spread throughout the county.

“If we can get everybody, at least the front-line workers, located at a single location for a victim to access, I think it goes a long way in breaking the cycle of domestic violence,” Judge Dixon said.

She said the new e-filing system is a small step in the direction of a bigger goal and it shows that Rowan County agencies can collaborate.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.