Electronic Filing Presentation

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Electronic Filing Presentation

• Lynn S. Streck
• 513-946-5612
• Clerk of Courts Office
• Hamilton County, Ohio

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Patti Clancy

• Patti Clancy,
• the Clerk of Courts,
• continues to bring technological innovations
  and advances to her office.
• Electronic filing is the one of these services.

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Overview

• Electronic filing allows attorneys to file
  documents with the courts from their computers
  via the Internet.
• It is a paperless, document delivery method.
• All documents accepted are actually filed.

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Specifications

• A personal computer with the following
• Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 with Service
  Pack 3 or later OR Mac OS version 7.5.3 or later
  (on an Apple Power MacIntosh or compatible)
• Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect word
  processing software
• Adobe Acrobat version 4.05 or greater (full
  version) software
• Access to the internet and
• An e-mail address.
• A valid American Express, Discover or MasterCard
  credit card
• An E-Filing user account

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Benefits of E-Filing

• The website is open 24/7 for filing and accessing
  files.
• Once the efiling is processed by clerks, the
  filed document is immediately available on the
  Clerks website.
• This enables quick file retrieval and
  distribution of documents as well as
• multi-user simultaneous access to case files.

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Benefits Continued

• There is increased security due to reduction of
  documents or files being lost or misfiled.
• This is a faster and a more efficient means to
  duplicate, access and transfer case files.
• One can perform full text searches.
• It provides Service to case parties.
• It enables eventual e-service to attorneys.

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Benefits Continued

• It saves time and money resources such as
• file management, storage space and record
  searching expenses
• paper and toner for printing, printer repair
  costs
• personnel time for reproduction and collation of
  papers and courthouse visits and
• postage or courier services for some or
• gasoline and parking costs for others.
• It makes us ahead of the national trend toward
  electronic case files.

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Applications

• The Clerk of Courts website at
  www.courtclerk.org has a user guide, e-filing
  registration and credit card forms. Local Rules
  governing e-filing are here too.
• Select the tab marked Services and choose
  Electronic Filing.
• Once an account has been set up this is also the
  login location.

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www.courtclerk.org
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Pricing

• A 100.00 copy cost account deposit is required
  if filing in the Common Pleas or Appellate
  courts.
• Ten cents per page copy cost is charged against
  this deposited balance.
• When the balance declines to 25.00, an e-mail
  requests the funds be replenished.

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Pricing Continued

• A separate copy cost account is not maintained
  for doing only Municipal Civil filings.
• Here the ten cents per page copy costs are
  charged against the account credit card during
  the filing processing.
• All filing costs determined by local rules remain
  the same.

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Cost Tracking Features Via Web for Common Pleas
Cases

• Select the Search Court Records tab.
• For Account Copy Costs- Under General Searches
  select Search by Case Number for Case Information
  (report 2), enter case number using the format
  EF00 plus your 5 digit Ohio Supreme Court number
  and click submit.
• For All Other Case Costs - Select Common Pleas
  Case Cost Statement (report 19), enter the case
  number and click submit.

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www.courtclerk.org
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Copy Cost Report

• On the web site, run the report. When its on the
  screen, click on Edit, click Select All, (the
  text will color over), click on Edit again, click
  Copy, open a word document or a spreadsheet and
  click Paste. The copy cost information will now
  be on your document.
• Save the document.You can now search by case
  number to tabulate its copy cost. An example
  follows.

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• Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
• APPEARANCE DOCKET EF0012345
• Attorney - Plaintiff Attorney -
  Defendant
• ALLY McBEAL
• Filed 3/15/01 EFIL E-FILING COPY ACCOUNT
• Total Deposits 100.00 CR Total Costs 10.20
• 9603150 ALLY McBEAL

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• DATE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT3/15/01
  ISSUE DESK - DEPOSIT BY ALLY McBEAL
  E FILING FUND
  100.00-
• 3/20/01 004 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -0008196 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1034 0.40
• 3/20/01 004 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -0005878 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1035 0.40
• 3/24/01 010 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -0002271 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1037
  1.00
• 4/23/01 004 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -9907658 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1060 0.40
• 5/7/01 008 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -9907658 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1077 0.80
• 5/7/01 022 COPIES MADE FOR CASE NUMBER A
  -0001441 CONFIRMATION NUMBER 1076 2.20

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Availability

• The first electronic filing was done on March 7,
  2001 in a Common Pleas case.
• Currently most documents are being accepted for
  Common Pleas civil cases.
  EXCEPTIONS are Entries and Finals.
• Documents being accepted in Common Pleas criminal
  cases are Filings and Motions.
• anything that closes a case where costs would be
  computed and paid

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Availability Continued

• In August 2002 electronic filing was started for
  Municipal Civil cases.
• In September 2002 electronic filing was started
  for Appellate cases.
• Help is available from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. on Monday
  through Friday at 513-946-5612.

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In Summary

• Electronic Filing, a paperless, document
  delivery method, is
• convenient,
• cost cutting,
• efficient and
• user friendly.
• Try it!

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Questions

• Thank You