News

Pennsylvania Judiciary Makes Case Information Available Online

July 10, 2001

HARRISBURG, July 10, 2001 — Pennsylvania’s Judiciary has launched a new pilot project online service that allows attorneys, judges, litigants and the general public to retrieve up-to-date appellate court case information on the Internet. The Pennsylvania Appellate Court Management System (PACMS) Docket Sheet Web site is an easyto- use resource that was designed to provide immediate access to anyone wanting to quickly view and print case information. The new online case information is available through a link on the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Site at: www.courts.state.pa.us or on the Superior Court Web Site at: www.superior.court.state.pa.us To use the new feature, go to the drop-down window in the top left hand corner of the Pennsylvania Judiciary’s Home Page until you find PACMS Docket Sheets. Or, simply click on the scrolling text along the left-hand margin of the same page that highlights the new service. Searches for Superior Court case information can be initiated in a number of ways. Among the key items that can be used in a search: · attorney · trial court judge · party name · calendar date · docket number Case information that is updated continuously can be accessed to track scheduled events in a case and docket entries within a case. The case information shown will include the name of the party, attorney, trial court and calendar dates of events in the case. Launched in late May, the site is an extension of PACMS — a case management and docketing network for the Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth courts. The service is an expansion of other appellate court information already online — opinions, schedules and forms. At present only Superior Court of Pennsylvania docket information is available online. However, it is anticipated that the Supreme and Commonwealth courts will be available online once the current Superior Court pilot venture is complete. “Public access to court records is an important aspect of the Unified Judicial System’s ongoing plan to automate Pennsylvania’s courts,” Court Administrator of Pennsylvania Zygmont A. Pines said. “This pilot venture involving Superior Court is a natural extension of the state judiciary’s ongoing efforts to make court information available in electronic form. “Those efforts began with the successful implementation of the statewide, automated District Justice System, and continued with development and implementation of the judiciary’s web site (www.courts.state.pa.us),” Pines added. “We are particularly appreciative of the support of Superior Court President Judge Joseph A. Del Sole and the pilot venture underway in that court.” Pennsylvania’s state court system has been among the nation’s leaders in fostering new technology to enhance efficiency in court operations and boost public trust and confidence in the judicial branch of government. Pennsylvania was one of the earliest states to establish an automated system for minor courts (December 1992) and became the second state court system to operate a web site (April 1995), providing public access to a host of data such as appellate court opinions. The pilot project is the result of a joint effort by the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.