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When residents come to Prince George's County courthouses, they should be able to complete basic filings and transactions without the help of a lawyer or clerk, said Linda Thomas.

If elected as clerk of the circuit court, Thomas said it will be her goal to educate residents about court practices and make case paperwork easier to access so residents will not feel intimidated by the process.

To do so, Thomas, a former Prince George's County school board member, proposes upgrading technology in the clerk's office to transition court filings from paper printouts to electronic files, and to enable residents to file and obtain paperwork electronically. One idea she has is to place electronic kiosks around the county where residents could file basic paperwork for court cases without having to go to the Upper Marlboro or Hyattsville courthouse.

Thomas, 56, said she came up with the idea after seeing court kiosks used in Florida. In Brevard County, Fla., residents can submit marriage pre-application information via "online kiosks," according to the county's clerk of the court. In Pinellas County, Fla., kiosks allow residents to pay traffic violation fines and other court fines.

"The most important thing in the clerk's office is efficiency," Thomas said.

Thomas estimates traffic in the clerk's office would decrease 30 percent after the technology upgrades are made. She said the decrease would free clerks to tackle other tasks and cut down on the amount of time it takes for paperwork to be filed. Thomas said she has on several occasions had filings take longer than 30 days.

Thomas said she does not have an estimated cost for the upgrades or a detailed plan on how to pay for them. However, she said if elected, she would conduct a performance audit to assess where money could be saved.

By hosting workshops on frequently filed cases, such as for child support, Thomas said residents would be able to better navigate at least part of the court system without paying for a lawyer.

Rhonda Chandler of Clinton said Thomas always worked well with her constituents when she served on the school board.

"She's really good at organizing people and bringing people together," Chandler said.

Thomas, who served on the school board from 2006 but had to step down this year to run for the clerk's position, said her biggest accomplishments while in office were securing funding for a planned Oxon Hill high school and expanding class offerings in south county.

By working on the school board, as principal at various schools in Maryland and Virginia and as a leader on quality assurance programs for a number of companies, Thomas said she has the experience to lead the clerk's office through the transitions she deems necessary.

Linda Thomas

Position sought and party affiliation: Clerk of the circuit court, Democrat

Place of residence: Temple Hills

How long in county: 25 years

Age: 56

Place of birth: Westmoreland County, Va.

Current occupation: Former Prince George's County school board member, education and business consultant for Kelcey Center in Upper Marlboro

Education: Master of arts in counseling from Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and master of science in public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

Community associations: Member of Virginia NAACP, Parent Teacher Associations for Crossland and Friendly high schools, the Barnaby Civic Association, Virginia Youth Wilderness Program and the National Foster Care Coalition

Professional associations: Prince George's County Commission of Women, former director of Maryland Association of Boards of Education, National Association for Reading, National Black and Minority Caucus of Boards of Education

Family: Married with four children

Campaign office address and telephone: 5211 Auth Road, Suite 202B, Camp Springs, MD 20746

240-838-5949

Website: www.lindathomasforpgc.com