Chris Falcon, clerk of the Fairfax County Circuit Court, is transforming how residents access court services through technology and community outreach.
Born to immigrant parents from Peru and Ecuador, Falcon grew up in Falls Church and attended Fairfax County Public Schools. After law school and a decade of service in Arlington’s court system, he returned to Fairfax County to lead the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
In a recent episode of “Connect with County Leaders” hosted by County Executive Bryan Hill, Falcon shared his vision for making court services more accessible to all county residents.
Making Court Services More Accessible
One of Falcon’s major initiatives is bringing court services closer to residents through satellite locations.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court now operates a monthly satellite office at the Cathy Hudgins Community Center in Reston, where residents can apply for marriage licenses, get free notary services, and access court records.
“We can do the things that we’re required to do by law, but we can also make it a little bit easier for our neighbors who we know have a difficult time going in the middle of a workday to the county courthouse,” Falcon explained.
Technology Innovations
Under Falcon’s leadership, the Circuit Court launched eCaseSearch, a free online case information system. This replaced the previous system that charged residents to access public case information.
The program, developed in-house by staff, is available in seven languages to serve the county’s diverse population.
“We had over 52,000 searches in the first two months the program went live,” said Falcon. “I think it’s transformational.”
Addressing Community Needs
The Circuit Court is also working to address several challenges facing residents:
- Language access: With over 38% of county residents speaking a language other than English at home, the court is exploring AI technology to improve translation services.
- Legal support: The office is connecting residents with legal aid clinics and self-help resources, particularly important since many civil cases have at least one party representing themselves.
- Property protection: The court is developing a notification system to alert property owners about deed fraud attempts.
- Historical preservation: The court maintains historical records, including George Washington’s will, and is developing a judicial learning center to educate students about civil rights cases.
Future Initiatives
The Circuit Court is piloting AI speech-to-text technology in courtrooms to create accessible records of civil proceedings. This innovation will particularly benefit self-represented litigants and members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community who may not have access to court reporters.
The office continues to work closely with state legislators and county officials to implement these improvements while maintaining its core responsibilities, which include recording deeds, issuing marriage licenses and registering wills.
Through these initiatives, Falcon and his office are working to ensure that court services are accessible to all county residents, regardless of their location, language or economic status.
Connect With County Leaders Podcast
The “Connect with County Leaders” podcast is a monthly opportunity to meet and connect with Fairfax County leaders, to learn about the latest county news and information, and hear more on specific programs and services in Fairfax County.
Listen or watch past episodes of “Connect with County Leaders” on SoundCloud, on YouTube and on Channel 16’s podcast on demand page. For other Fairfax County podcasts, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts, and for additional audio content, tune in to Fairfax County Government Radio at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/radio.
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