How to Get My Court Documents Online


In most cases, court records are available to the public. However, there are some court records that the public is not allowed to see. This happens when a law or court order makes a document confidential. Please note that fees for obtaining copies of court records from NARA`s Federal Document Centres have not changed under this new policy. Most documents and files relating to files opened before 1999 are paper and therefore may not be available online. Paper records of closed cases are eventually turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) or destroyed according to a records retention schedule approved by the U.S. Judicial Conference and NARA. In certain circumstances, judges have the power to seal additional documents or to hold in camera hearings that would normally be public. Reasons may include protecting victims and cooperating informants, as well as avoiding the publication of information that could affect an ongoing criminal investigation or an accused`s right to due process.

Most court documents are available online, but judges can seal files in certain circumstances. Here is an overview. There are user fees for access to documents in PACER, and for the current fee structure, see the Electronic Public Access Fee Schedule. Charges are billed quarterly and all charges are waived if the invoice does not exceed a certain limit during a billing quarter. An official transcript is a typed version of the verbatim record of a court case prepared by an official court reporter or transcriber on this list. Any search for older paper records must begin by contacting the court where the case was filed. As a secondary source, these documents may be available from NARA. Some documents are generally not accessible to the public.

As set out in the Privacy Policy for Electronic Records, this includes subpoenas or outstanding warrants; bail and attendance reports; youth laws; Documents containing information about jurors; and various documents, such as expense records, that could reveal defence strategies for court-appointed counsel. A transcriber listens to an audio recording of a court case to prepare a written transcript. A transcriber does not usually attend the hearing, but listens to an audio recording made by the clerk in the courtroom. You can get a copy of a divorce decree from the clerk of the county court where the divorce was granted for a fee. Most records prepared prior to 1999 are kept only on paper. Access paper documents from the court where the case was filed or at one of the Federal Document Centres (RCFs). Contact the court where the case was filed for more information. Information on access to advisory opinions and case documents for the United States Supreme Court is available on the Court`s website. No.

For example, criminal proceedings (with the exception of pleas in crimes H and I) are not recorded unless ordered to do so by a judge. Appeals from the district criminal court go to the superior court for a new trial (not a review of records of what happened in the district court), so a transcript is not required for this purpose. Find a case before the Federal Court using Public Access to the Court`s Electronic Records (PACER) or by visiting the clerk`s office of the courthouse where the case was filed. Individual researchers working on defined research projects intended for scientific work can use the attached form (pdf) to apply for PACER fee waivers in several courts. In accordance with the EPO Rules on Fees, the request must be limited in scope and not intended for redistribution over the Internet or for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the PACER Service Centre at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or (800) 676-6856. You can request a copy of the audio recording from the clerk`s office of the county court where the case is filed. In a type of case that is not confidential, you can request Form AOC-G-114. You will be charged for the actual cost of a CD when the recording is available.

Some court cases are confidential, such as cases involving minors and involuntary hospitalization.