The Missouri Judiciary recently launched a new website to help the public learn more about major upcoming changes to Case.net, the web-based search portal for information about Missouri court cases. The Remote Public Access website uses a question-and-answer format to explain the upcoming changes, which will allow for access to public case documents from personal electronic devices, beginning July 1.
The move to remote public access, announced last year, has been years in the making, as technology has allowed the courts to move from a wholly paper-driven system to an electronic system. Since the late 1990s, the public has been able to use Case.net to view certain information about cases filed in Missouri. After electronic filing began a dozen years ago, people could use public access terminals in courthouses throughout the state to view public documents filed in cases. But this new change will allow people to view public case documents to view, download and print public case documents from their personal computers, tablets or cell phones. In anticipation of this change, the Missouri judiciary also has updated Case.net to be mobile-friendly.
Case.net is a web-based search portal. It lets people find real-time public information about Missouri court cases. It is designed to balance access to public information with the need to protect confidential information.
Since its launch, Case.net has provided some public case information, including:
Information about parties and their attorneys
Detailed docket entries
Scheduled dates and times for hearings and trials
As technology advanced, courts moved from all paper documents to more electronic documents. Since 2014, most case documents have been all electronic. Older paper documents still are available only in-person at the clerk’s office in the local courthouse where the case was filed. But all local courthouses also have computer terminals for the public. These computers let people view electronic case documents, no matter where they were filed.
“Innovations in technology have not only revolutionized the way we in the courts work, but they also have fundamentally changed how Missourians interact with their courts,” Chief Justice Paul C. Wilson said. “The changes coming to Case.net starting July 1 will allow Missourians to access public court documents when and where it’s most convenient for them.”
But remote public access also heightens the need to protect confidential information in court documents. This is a responsibility shared by not only lawyers but also by people who represent themselves in court.
“Anyone filing documents in a Missouri court has an obligation to redact confidential information as required by law,” Wilson said. “But with this expanded public access comes a greater responsibility for everyone – lawyers and self-represented people alike – to exercise diligence and care in carrying out the redaction responsibility.”
Information is confidential based on a statute, court rule or court order, or other law. It must be redacted from public documents.
There is no exhaustive list of all information that may be confidential under state or federal law. This law can include state statutes and regulations. It also can include federal statutes and regulations. Additionally, it may include state court rules and federal court rules. For help, you may want to consult with an attorney.
The Missouri court rules list some examples of information that may be confidential. These examples include, but are not limited to:
Social security numbers
Driver’s license numbers
State identification numbers
Taxpayer identification numbers
