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electronic filing submissions. The Commission on Technology has now approved two
specific XML formats for text-based electronic documents: OpenOffice XML (.docx) and
OpenDoc Format (.odt).
The goals of electronic filing are to:
Increase the effectiveness of the Court and criminal justice system;
Reduce costs;
Improve service to the public;
Study, coordinate, and plan the transfer of case records electronically to, from,
and between courts;
Craft a unified statewide model for electronic filing; and
Promote the transition to full production of pilots in different courts to the
statewide model.
Historically, there are some long-running pilot and experimental projects in Arizona
courts for electronic filing. They include:
Pima County Consolidated Justice Courts: Small Claims electronic filing.
Arizona Court of Appeals - Division Two - Electronic Document Management
project, electronic transfer of court records on appeals from various superior
courts, and litigant e-filing (“e-filer”).
Maricopa County Superior Court’s effort to allow multiple filers to write data into
their EDMS and CMS via a standard XML interface.
Central Phoenix Justice Court’s case management system interface for mass
filing of forcible detainer cases (now referred to as eviction actions).
The introduction of digital signature legislation in Arizona paved the way for an
environment to support electronic filing of documents. The courts adopted Rule 124 in
the Year 2000 to provide for electronic filing. COT also approved the standards-based
electronic transfer of records on appeal from superior courts to appellate courts.
The e-Court Subcommittee has submitted and COT has ratified a set of general
principles to govern eventual solutions.
1. Approach: Courts should create a competitive, multi-provider environment under
which any provider who meets the certification criteria will be able to file.
2. Court users should be presented with a common look and feel no matter the
jurisdiction. No litigant will have to operate multiple systems to file in various
courts in the state.
3. Courts are too resource constrained to provide extensive technical support
themselves for filing attorneys and the public.
4. For automated filing, only one interface will exist per case management system.
Data must be exchanged bi-directionally between case management and e-filing
systems.
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