For about a year, maybe longer, the state court system has slowly been rolling out news of electronic filing coming to certain counties.
Now, it's finally Hinds County's turn.
Starting on Oct. 1, Hinds Circuit Court and Hinds County Court starts accepting voluntary electronic filing of court documents in civil cases on Oct. 1. Senior Circuit Judge Tomie Green signed the order. E-filing will become mandatory on Nov. 1 in civil cases, a press release states.
“The addition of Hinds Circuit and County Courts to the Mississippi Electronic Courts system marks a milestone in our efforts to implement a unified, statewide e-filing system for the judiciary. The state’s most populous county, the home of our capital city and the seat of state government, is an essential component of a unified records system," said Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. said in a statement.
Hinds County Circuit Clerk Barbara Dunn said in the statement that "trying to make this as simple as possible."
This is huge for members of the public and the press.
Dunn's office charges $1.00 PER FREAKING PAGE for copies.
The state e-filing system is similar to the PACER system the federal courts use, which charges a dime per page.
Comments
donnaladd 10 years, 6 months ago
A dollar per page is unconscionable for public records.
justjess 10 years, 6 months ago
@donnaladd
"A dollar per page is unconscionable for public records."
I agree. This is a total rip-off. Has anyone ever suggested a "bring your own paper" deal. You can buy a whole realm of quality white paper for less than $3.00 at WalMart. The pack contains 500 sheets. Mrs. Dunn would not have to use her staff to make the copies; only to pull the requested information. A public copier could be placed in a secure spot to ensure the integrity of the information as it is being copied.
Just thinking