Perry County Probate Judge Carlton Hogue said this week that the county’s probate records system should be restored no later than the first of December, countering a social-media claim that service would not return until April.
Hogue said a power surge crashed the office’s aging server used with its longtime software, Syscon, leaving digital records from 2008 to the present temporarily inaccessible for searches. He emphasized that data were preserved even though the system was down.
According to Hogue, the county is moving to Ingenuity as its new records vendor. After consulting with other probate judges, including Hale County Probate Judge David Parker, Hogue said he was able to secure an expedited place in the installation queue. Contracts are being prepared for the Perry County Commission’s approval, and work is already under way on the systems, he said.
“We’re going to be able to get back online a lot sooner than the April date that was circulated,”
Hogue said, noting that he wanted the public to hear the update directly from his office.
He added that the transition to Ingenuity should improve compatibility with other county offices and bring Perry County in line with most probate courts statewide.
Until the new system is live, routine transactions that require digital record searches—such as title work or certified copies of marriage licenses—remain delayed. Hogue said his office will provide another update once the commission has acted on the proposed contract.
