Thousands affected by Wadsworth court computer trouble

WADSWORTH — More than 3,000 people with traffic cases dating back to 1998 have been affected by computer errors at Wadsworth Municipal Court that have duplicated driving convictions and suspensions. The problem was publicly revealed Monday but Clerk of Courts Cassie Frye said misreporting to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles went on for about a week before calls from residents tipped off officials. "We started hearing about it last Thursday," she said. "Then more calls came in Friday and on Monday we were flooded with calls. It seems to have affected a lot of people. It's been a problem with our computers in sending the information out and we've been in continued contact with the BMV as well as our software company." A Google Doc to report record errors has been made available on the court probation department's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wadsmuniprobation and can also be found directly at shorturl.at/ruHR6. The court said it will file needed BMV paperwork for drivers who fill out that form once a conviction or suspension is confirmed to be a duplicate. Some drivers have had past offenses show up twice on their records while others have received letters from the BMV stating their licenses are suspended pending payment of reinstatement fees despite their cases being closed. Frye said she had not heard of any drivers being pulled over without knowing their licenses were suspended. Frye said local police departments and the Ohio Highway Patrol has been made aware of the problem and that officers should have knowledge of it during any potential traffic stops. "Our software company thinks it was a computer glitch," she said. "It was a problem in the transition from the court to the BMV. Most of the calls we've gotten were after people got a letter from them. These are all people who've had cases in Wadsworth at one time or another. "All in all, people have been very courteous and kind about the whole thing. We've gotten some calls too where people have been upset, but everyone has been understanding." Those affected can also continue reporting problems by calling (330) 335-1596. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.