One think I've noticed since becoming a public defender is that one is always making do with less than optimum circumstances. There are always too many clients and not enough resources. This can be quite frustrating. A case in point: Last week our server went out. We save all our documents to the server, rather than to the hard-drive, so that we all have access to each other's old motions. However, without a server, we had to rewrite whatever we needed like stock motions for transport, continuances, jury instructions, and the like. In addition, the printer runs through the server, meaning without the server, we could not print anything. Thus we couldn't file anything anyway, even if we did manage to complete it. Add to it, the server makes this high-pitched, continuous, beeping noise when it is not working. It drives one insane! We finally thought we were out of the woods when the IT guy showed up Thursday to fix it and our files were re-loaded to the server from the back-up on Friday at about 4:30.
Our momentary bliss, however, was not to be. I come in after court this morning to the familiar high-pitched beeping noise. Now, not only is our server down, but something is up with the T1 line as well, meaning we have no access to the internet. So, when our clients ask when their court date is, why they got picked up on a warrant, whether the judge granted their motion, or any other thing that they like to call and ask about, no one can tell them! The receptionist cannot even tell them who their attorney is!
This in addition to the fact that we have been waiting for phones for 2 new attorneys and an intern for 2 months, we've been out of yellow pads and accordion files for 3 months, and personnel has switched to computer-based time-sheets that can never manage to pay anyone the proper amount.
Now that I have vented a while, I feel better. On the plus side, I have had lots of time to file my files, put the papers into the files, return various phone-calls, and catch up reading the bar-bulletin. If only that insane beeping noise would stop.
An Update:
We finally have a server and the internet! Will wonders never cease. This, of course, doesn't fix the shortage of pens, yellow pads, phones, or the paychecks that keep getting messed up. But it is progress!
3 comments:
Time to invest in a pair of industrial strength ear plugs? :-)
Given the importance of the documents on your server, and the remoteness of your location, I'm rather surprised that the server isn't mirrored. (That is, instead of one server, you have two. One you use, the other is an identical copy locked up where no one can get at it. When #1 goes down, an IT person switches the server name you're using to point to #2, and you're back up in about 15 minutes.) It costs about $2500 and a little planning. And since you're a state agency, I'd also put a mirror in Santa Fe for all the PD offices in the state, in case something happens to your office. It's the sort of thing we do in a library, where no one's life is at stake or anything; the cost is minimal, and it make IT look really good when something bad happens and 15 minutes later you get to say, "OK, you're back up."
I think it may be "mirrored" in Santa Fe, but I'm not sure. I know they back up all the files on everyone's server in SF. The main problem seems to be that the server we have is ancient, and runs too many things for its size. I think they ended up replacing it altogether the most recent time they fixed it.
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