Best Practices
Launching court text reminders? 7 ways to make sure the public trusts them
Launching court text reminders? Market the program so the public trusts it. Seven Go-Live steps, from publishing your official number to what you…
Greg Shugart
Director of Government Relations
Greg Shugart brings over 30 years of public sector experience to the eCourtDate team, with a background in court administration, criminal justice reform, and government operations. He previously served as Criminal Courts Administrator for Tarrant County, Texas, where he led statewide-recognized initiatives in pretrial modernization, court communications, and system efficiency. Greg now contributes to eCourtDate’s strategy and partnerships, helping agencies implement technology that improves access, compliance, and trust in the justice system.
Connect on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Articles by Greg Shugart
Research & Trends
The scam text that teaches people to ignore the court
Fake court texts demanding payment now look almost identical to real reminders. The real cost is public trust in the messages that keep people out of…
Research & Trends
Officer Court Overtime Isn't a People Problem. It's a Calendar Problem.
The court sets the docket, the department sets the shift, the prosecutor issues the subpoena. None share a calendar, and taxpayers cover the collision
Research & Trends
Not All AI in Criminal Justice Carries Equal Risk
RAND's 2026 AI taxonomy rates court reminders low equity risk and explainable. Predictive policing: high risk, black-box. Courts should know the…
Best Practices
What CourTools Can’t See
CourTools tracks clearance rate, time to disposition, and trial date certainty. Here’s what predicts those scores before they shift.
Best Practices
We Did Something Simple. It Worked. And Now I Know Why.
One operational change at jail booking dropped Tarrant County's warrant rate from 9% to 2.6%. ideas42 research explains exactly why it worked.
Best Practices
Court Reminder Programs Work. Enrollment Design Determines Whether Anyone Benefits.
A Cicero Institute brief makes the fiscal case for opt-out court reminder enrollment, where participation reaches 72-90% vs. 2-30% in opt-in programs.
Best Practices
Failure to Appear Is a System Problem, Not Just a Defendant Problem
System actors miss court in 53% of cases. Defendants miss in 19%. New data reframes failure to appear as a system problem, not just a defendant…
Research & Trends
Court Reminders Are a Rare Island of Bipartisan Consensus
Court date reminders have no political opposition. Democrats, Republicans, law enforcement, and advocates all agree. Here is what the data shows.
Best Practices
A Practical Guide for Texas Courts: How to Send Court Text Reminders the Right Way
Texas courts can send text reminders legally and for free. Here is what the law says, why consent rules don't apply, and how to get started.
Best Practices
The Choice: What Courts Do Next
Six posts. Dozens of studies. One conclusion: court reminder systems work. Here's what the research proved and the six steps courts can take right…
Research & Trends
What Actually Works: The Science of Getting People to Court
Message wording and form design impact court appearances. NYC achieved 36% reductions through design. Auto-enrollment reaches 90% vs opt-in's near…
Best Practices
Opt-In Compliance for Court Text Messaging: Balancing Law, Access, and Administrative Practice
Courts can balance TCPA compliance with access to justice. Learn best practices for lawful, equitable court text reminders and opt-out transparency.
Best Practices
What Failures to Appear Actually Cost Courts
Prevention costs $9.84 per FTA. Enforcement costs $2,850. That's 290:1 ROI. Yet half of states don't use court reminders. The data settled this years…
Research & Trends
Why Failures to Appear Happen: Communication, Not Defiance
Most court failures to appear are communication breakdowns, not defiance. 90% were unaware that reminder systems existed. Prevention works better.
Research & Trends
Failure to Appear Is the Hinge Point in the Court System
Failure to appear drives 1 in 8 jail bookings nationwide. New data shows how missed court dates on low-level cases create warrant backlogs and jail…
Research & Trends
USA Court Statistics: The Numbers That Define the Justice System
A data-driven look at the scale of U.S. courts, failures to appear, warrants, and jail churn, and what the numbers reveal about where improvement is…
Best Practices
Modernizing Court Communication in a System That Makes Change Hard - Pt 3
Modern court communication does not have to be hard. The right partner helps counties reduce complexity, improve outcomes, and modernize without…
Best Practices
Modernizing Court Communication in a System That Makes Change Hard - Pt 2
Part 2 of 3. Courts want to modernize, but structural limits make change hard. This post explores why busy workflows and legacy systems slow…
Best Practices
Modernizing Court Communication in a System That Makes Change Hard - Pt 1
Part 1 of 3. Court reminders work, but adoption is slow. This post looks at the evidence and the barriers that make implementation difficult for many…
Research & Trends
GovLink AI: Powering the Next Generation of Government Communication
GovLink AI helps agencies modernize communication through secure, accessible, and citizen-focused CPaaS solutions built for trust and equity.
Best Practices
eCourtDate Excited to Support Development of National Pretrial IT Standards
eCourtDate partners with NAPSA to develop national Pretrial IT Standards, promoting fairness, efficiency, and trust through improved justice…
Best Practices
Transactional Compliance for Court Email Reminders: Balancing Law, Access, and Admin Practice
Courts are expanding to email reminders. Learn how CAN-SPAM and state laws apply, and how to balance compliance, access, and public trust.
Best Practices
Every Jurisdiction Deserves Automated Court Reminders: Turning Policy into Practice
eCourtDate delivers the automated court reminder systems R Street advocates—proven, equitable, and cost-effective solutions for modern justice.
Best Practices
Be Process and Performance Driven: Applying the TAC Way in the Courts
Counties improve justice outcomes by focusing on process and performance. See how eCourtDate supports the TAC Way’s goal of lasting results.
Best Practices
Keeping Momentum in Pretrial Data: Lessons from Virginia
Virginia’s Pretrial Data Project shows the power of persistence. With eCourtDate, agencies can turn years of work into real-time, actionable insights.
Best Practices
You Cannot Change the Whole Court System at Once, but You Can Start with Notifications
Court systems are complex, but small steps matter. Court reminders cut missed appearances by up to 40%. eCourtDate helps courts act today.
Best Practices
Turning Pretrial Performance Measures Into Action with Dashboards
APPR defines what to measure in pretrial. eCourtDate dashboards show how to act on it, turning data into decisions that drive real outcomes.
Research & Trends
Beyond the Bubble: How AI Will Reshape Government Work
AI hype may fade, but history shows tech reshapes work. In courts, AI will transform tasks, not jobs, making government more effective and accessible.
Best Practices
What Courts Can Learn from NCSC’s 2025 Trends Report and How We Are Already Building It
NCSC’s 2025 Trends highlights AI shaping courts. Read the report and see how eCourtDate brings these innovations to life in real court settings.
Best Practices
Why Missing Court Is So Expensive: The Hidden Cost of FTAs
Missing court adds 59% in fines. A study shows how eCourtDate can help cut FTAs with text reminders, reducing costs and preventing procedural traps.
Best Practices
When Showing Up Means Everything: Reflections from the IJIS Award Ceremony
New Mexico Pretrial Justice Program earned Honorable Mention for the IJIS Court Integration Excellence Award, using eCourtDate to send 270,000 court…
Data-Driven Insights
Client Supervision Solution
eCourtDate's Client Supervision Solution is a modern, mobile-first platform supporting pretrial and probation agencies. It reduces failure-to-appear…