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Supreme Court Moves Toward Digital With Online Court Filings (thehill.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the get-with-the-times dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hill: Supreme Court case documents will soon be made available for the first time online. The court announced Thursday that it will launch an electronic filing system on Nov. 13 that will make "virtually all new filings" accessible to the public via the court's website for free. Court documents for the lower courts are typically available online through the Public Access to Court Electronics Records, which charges a fee per page. The court's announcement comes just days after the high court unveiled a newly designed website. Court watchers say it's a surprising, but welcome, jump into the 21st century for a court that's been reluctant over the years to advance its technologies.

20 comments

  1. Antonio Scalia is rolling over in his grave by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The framers would never have approved of submitting digital filings.

  2. I for one, etc. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Digital transformation" still means "website". Which depends on browsers and standards that are both highly unstable and getting less stable still. This is fine future-proofing, yes yes.

    1. Re:I for one, etc. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have to have a fire, EMP and obsolescence protected backup storage solution somewhere, when they finally give up paper on the whole process. On the other hand, refreshing of the case-law does some good every now and then.

  3. Comcast by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wonder what the "Court Data Plan" will cost?

  4. On the bright side.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It will make it that much easier for them to 'revise' their rulings after the fact and ensure that anyone doubting what their ruling actually was can check for what the new 'company line' is in regards to a supreme court case.

    Remember newspeak? This is how it will be implemented.

    1. Re:On the bright side.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Free unlimited access means people can archive everything, and regularly make comparisons to find changes. It would be much easier to change the records if people had to pay for access, as this allows you to persecute anyone who attempts to archive the records.

    2. Re:On the bright side.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is what those blockchains are really for..

  5. Decision by manu0601 · · Score: 2

    I wonder who inside SCOTUS decides to launch such a project.

    1. Re: Decision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ruth Bader Ginsburg... when she's not climbing mountains, she's a black-belt coder.

  6. Looks like Trump's promise to modernize... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is being followed-up on. I know the government agency I work for has been under a lot of pressure to improve IT the past couple of months. Finally glad to see these things happen.

    1. Re: Looks like Trump's promise to modernize... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can say a lot of bad things about Trump but it is nice to have an outside sometimes to ask the why question. We're finally getting a data warehouse system after he asked a question of us that we couldn't answer in a reasonable amount of time. I'm finally excited about work for the first time since I started working for the government almost 15 years ago.

  7. Page-lengthening and page-widening post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Commandur Tayco, fix your softwear!

  8. Re: Blackwater four pardoned by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They down voted you because you spoke the truth. The truth.

  9. WTF? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Still no video allowed in the Supreme Court with their secret rulings? Well, a website makes it all seem better.

  10. Decisions have been available online for years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Supreme Court's decisions have been available online for at least 5 years, probably more. Granted, they don't have an app for access: you use a browser, and they're in PDF format so they resemble the final printed copy. But they're there. As is the court's agenda. As are records of oral arguments. So claiming that the Supremes are tech-averse is being kind of blind.

    Many of the federal appeals courts also publish decisions (in PDF) on their web site rather than (or in addtion to) through PACER. As do a few District courts and some state courts.

    The new twist is making the other case records available online. That's probably important for the lawyers and the true geeks, but less so for those who just want to know the final outcome. Frankly, I don't mind if those are behind the PACER paywall - it's all a business expense for the lawyers anyway.

    And remember, the actual permanent record *is* still on paper, and is bound into volumes for use in law libraries. THAT will never change. What's online (and has been for, really, 10 years or more) is good enough for the rest of us.

    1. Re:Decisions have been available online for years by clovis · · Score: 1

      The Supreme Court's decisions have been available online for at least 5 years, probably more. Granted, they don't have an app for access: you use a browser, and they're in PDF format so they resemble the final printed copy. But they're there. As is the court's agenda. As are records of oral arguments. So claiming that the Supremes are tech-averse is being kind of blind.

      Many of the federal appeals courts also publish decisions (in PDF) on their web site rather than (or in addtion to) through PACER. As do a few District courts and some state courts.

      The new twist is making the other case records available online. That's probably important for the lawyers and the true geeks, but less so for those who just want to know the final outcome. Frankly, I don't mind if those are behind the PACER paywall - it's all a business expense for the lawyers anyway.

      And remember, the actual permanent record *is* still on paper, and is bound into volumes for use in law libraries. THAT will never change. What's online (and has been for, really, 10 years or more) is good enough for the rest of us.

      Thanks for making a relevant post. I've been using the SCOTUS web site for years to read their decisions because the news so very often misquotes the court's decisions.
      The funny thing is, I'm having a hard time finding past decisions on the new web site.

  11. Re:Blackwater four pardoned by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    Ooooh, is that a genuine ancient Harappa bronze battle-ax you're grinding?

  12. Learn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It will make it that much easier for them to 'revise' their rulings after the fact and ensure that anyone doubting what their ruling actually was can check for what the new 'company line' is in regards to a supreme court case.

    Remember newspeak? This is how it will be implemented.

    Please learn what you're talking about before you speak. Your unjustified paranoia hurts everyone else and does no favors for you. Seriously, there are plenty of legitimate things to be paranoid about. This is not one of them.

  13. Time For Live Broadcasts of Court Hearings by rechtco · · Score: 1

    The US Supreme Court should broadcast and stream all its hearings live.