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Court Cases Online – What is CM/ECF?
Court cases online are really simply ‘just there’ for your peruse. Thanks to
CM/ECF and the PACER program, people now have access to many court cases. But
are they good enough to give you exactly what you need?
Court cases online (or offline, for that matter) are most easily accessed as
a docket; that is, the brief that outlines basic facts about a case. A docket
also includes a rundown of relevant documents that have been filed in court as
well as a calendar of specific events (e.g., oral defense).
The US Judiciary has replaced its old docket system with CM/ECF, which stands
for Case Management/Electronic Case Files, through which the public can gain
access to case records.
Moreover, the new system also enables lawyers (a quarter of a million of who
have already done so) to file documents with their state courts via the
Internet. The new system is now used by 93% of federal judicial units and those
that have not rolled out CM/ECF are expected to do so before the start of 2007.
The great thing about CM/ECF is the US Judiciary charges nothing extra for
public use of the new system, using whatever fee schemes applied prior to roll
out.
The public is given access to court cases online via the PACER (Public Access to
Court Electronic Records) program. If you are the plaintiff, you get a free copy
of electronically-filed records of your case. Anyone who is interested in your
case may download or view records at $.08 a page, total cost not exceeding
$2.40. However, these nominal costs do not apply to court transcripts.
Court Cases Online - Public Access Like Never BeforeApart from
the info above, another way to access court records is ‘direct from the source’.
Simply type in the name of the state in your browser (e.g., Iowa) followed by
the words “judicial branch official website”. The first link most browsers turn
up will be the state's judicial website.
You can also visit the Federal Judiciary
web page,
where detailed lists of courts (e.g., district, bankruptcy, probation, etc.)
located nationwide may be found, along with maps on how to get there. However,
the page is more of a clearinghouse for the US Judiciary, and court records are
best accessed per state.
However, you will notice that most of the options above ASSUME that you know
many things about the court cases you are looking for. If you do not have a lot
of information with you, then chances are you will not find the court records
you need.
Another great option is to conduct a simple and easy online search using public
record search service providers. These sites have links to hundreds or even
thousands of data centers (including those mentioned above) so give them a try
first before you deeper with your search.
For the top sites for court records access, check out
RecordsSiteReviews'
online court records provider section.
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