St. Bernard Parish - Electronic Filing at the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit By Judge Roland Belsome, Judge Daniel Dysart, and Dennis Hinrichs
What is Electronic Filing? NCSC defines electronic filing as: Electronic filing, or the migration of the court record from a paper to an electronic format, enables lawyers and other users to submit documents to multiple court systems that demand different formats through the use of Global Justice XML (GHXML). Electronic filing that includes digital signatures, privacy and public access, and document management are becoming more commonplace to reduce the court costs and make documents more available.
What is ecourt? ecourt is the name given to the comprehensive electronic filing system developed by the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal It has been designed to streamline the process of filing and accessing court documents and case information while enhancing judicial efficiency
Advantages to ecourt 24/7 access to case information and filing Saves money by reducing the cost for paper and postage Saves employee time in preparation of copies Increased accessibility to court records Allows for permanent electronic storage and retrieval of court documents
Registration Attorneys will be required to register with the Clerk s Office prior to filing electronically New attorneys, or attorneys who have not filed with us before will have to download and submit the Registration Information Sheet Once access is granted, registration can be completed by clicking the Register link
Registration Users must provide bar number and email address For security purposes, the email address must match the email address we have on file A registration code and link will then be emailed Click the link in the email and entered the provided registration code
Registration A successful registration message will display indicating that a username and password have been emailed When first logging into the system, users must watch a short training video detailing ecourt usage The username and password can be updated in the Manage Profile section It is the attorney s responsibility to safeguard their username and password
Registration
Logging Into ecourt Enter the provided username and password to log into ecourt For security purposes, if the login information is entered incorrectly more than 5 times the account will be locked out An email will be sent with a contact number to call for unlocking the account
Logging into ecourt Locked account email example:
ecourt Home Screen Search My Cases File New Case View Order History Manage Profile View Filing Fees View Filing Rules
ecourt Home Screen
Search My Cases On this screen, an attorney can search through any existing cases in which they are included as counsel Similar to our public website, cases can be searched by: Case Year Appellate Court Case Number District Court Case Number
My Cases In My Cases an attorney can: File a new document View case details Download documents
Downloading Documents In My Cases, an attorney can download any court released documents related to that case The type of document will be listed, and clicking the displayed link will take the user through the checkout and download process Documents will be in industry standard archiving format PDF/A A current version of Adobe Reader must be installed to view PDF documents
E-File Document In My Cases, an attorney can electronically file a document that meets the criteria specified in the E-filing Program Rules Some notable rules are: Document must be in PDF format Documents cannot be password protected or secured Only black text on a white background is accepted All page orientations shall be properly rotated to read left to right and top to bottom Documents must not be more that 20MB Documents cannot contain any files, scripts, tracking tags, or executable files
E-File Document Click the Upload button to select the document to file The selected document will display in the document selection box Multiple documents can be selected for one filing, however these documents will be merged to create one official e-filed document Click the Preview button to ensure the document selected is the correct document
E-File Document Select the type of document being filed Motion for Extension of Time Response to Writ Motion to Dismiss Application for Rehearing Etc Click the Prepare Filing button to complete the e-file process The Prepare Filing button will appear when all required options are satisfied
E-File Document Once the document is e-filed, a time and date stamp is placed on the file This is the official time of the file used to determine timeliness When a document is e-filed, the filer receives a confirmation email detailing the transaction with a confirmation number
E-File Document The Clerk s Office will also receive a notification of the filing and begin processing the document: If the filed document does not meet the criteria defined in the E-filing Program Rules, the Clerk s Office will reject the document and the filer will receive a notice detailing the reasons Otherwise, the Clerk s Office will accept the document and distribute it accordingly throughout the court. The filer will receive a successful e-filing notice
Filing a New Case An attorney can file a writ or an appeal in a new case in this screen The document selection process is the same as filing a document on an existing case, however the filer must choose either File Writ or File Appeal Filing a new writ requires filling out the online Writ Application Intake Form
Filing a New Case This form contains standard questions regarding the case being filed A version of the hard copy form filled out when filing in person can be found here: Writ Application Intake Form
View Order History A history of all transactions can be found on the My Transaction page Clicking the link under the transaction column will display the selected document
In the Manage Profile screen, users can update all personal information including email address, username, and password Manage Profile
In the Filing Fees screen, users can view all fees associated with electronic filing View Filing Fees
In the Filing Rules screen, users can view all rules regarding electronic filing and system usage View Filing Rules
Who Can Access ecourt? Pilot testing is a small-scale trial, where a few examinees take the test and comment on the mechanics of the test. They point out any problems with the test instructions, instances where items are not clear, and formatting and other typographical errors and/or issues. Pilot testing is currently available for the New Orleans D.A. s office, St. Bernard Parish, and Plaquemines Parish
Mobile Device Compatible A mobile version of ecourt is available in multiple platforms On Apple devices a dropdown menu will appear displaying how to Add to Home Screen All other devices can follow the manufacturers suggestions for adding web applications to home the home screen Dropbox accessible for selecting pdf documents for e-filing
Vision for ecourt ecourt is more that just e-filing. It has been designed to be compatible with all over-the-counter transactions Additionally, it will allow users to be current with new court information such as released opinions, writs, and any emergency information or notices
Take Me There https://ecourt.la4th.org/
Documents in Presentation Registration Information Sheet E-filing Program Rules Writ Application Intake Form Presentation can be downloaded on our website at www.la4th.org Or by direct link: www.la4th.org/downloads/ecourt.pptx