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Electronic Case Filing

March 16, 2016 A new training module to assist attorneys in the filing of sealed documents is now available under the Training Modules category.
 
January 1, 2016   Pursuant to Rule 3.1 of the amended Local Rules of the Southern District of Ohio, the filing rights of counsel who are members of the bar have been updated to allow for the filing of new cases electronically. In the event that you do not see the Open Civil Case option, click Ctrl-R to refresh the page.


Important Announcement Regarding Sealed Documents

 

About Electronic Case Filing

WE DO NOT ACCEPT FAXED OR EMAILED DOCUMENTS
 

CM/ECF provides courts the option to have case file documents in electronic format and to accept filings over the Internet. The system is named Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF), or ECF for short.

ECF allows attorneys and others to file and view documents from their office, home or anywhere they have access to the Internet, 24 hours a day. Documents are automatically docketed as part of the filing process and they are immediately available.

There are no added fees for filing documents over the Internet using ECF; existing document filing fees do apply. Electronic access to court data is available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) program. Litigants receive one free copy of the documents electronically filed in their cases, which they can save or print for their files. Additional copies are available to attorneys and the general public for viewing and downloading at ten cents ($0.10) per page, with a maximum cost per document of $3.00. Directed by Congress to fund electronic access through user fees, the judiciary has set the fee at the lowest possible level sufficient to recoup program costs.

The Judicial Conference has adopted a set of recommendations relating to privacy and public access to electronic case files. As part of the process to develop these recommendations, public comment was sought on a number of possible approaches. The Judicial Conference’s Committee on Court Administration and Case Management is overseeing implementation of these recommendations.