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TRACKING PRISONER CASES<br />
THROUGH <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
Lina Figari, Staff Attorney, N.D. of Texas<br />
James McKay, Staff Attorney, D. of Arizona<br />
Kristin Vanden Berg, Staff Attorney, W.D. of Michigan<br />
Laurie Gilliland, Staff Attorney, D. of Utah<br />
Sara Mainquist (Rodriguez), Staff Attorney, W.D. of Wisconsin
CURRENT & NEXTGEN <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
Lina Figari<br />
Staff Attorney<br />
Northern District of Texas<br />
214-753-2259<br />
September 11, 2013
Case Management/Electronic Case File<br />
(<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong>)<br />
• <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> is the federal judiciary's case<br />
management system for all bankruptcy, district,<br />
and appellate courts.<br />
• <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> also provides electronic document<br />
management, and electronic filing, noticing and<br />
retrieval of case documents via the Internet.<br />
• Extensive information is available on the Jnet at<br />
the following link<br />
• http://jnetlegacy.ao.dcn/it/ecf/index.html
Customizing <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Districts can customize <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> to meet the<br />
individual needs of their judges and staff by<br />
adding flags, setting deadlines, creating<br />
custom reports, enabling comment functions,<br />
setting up electronic form orders, etc.<br />
• Districts can also develop applications that<br />
pull information directly from <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> that<br />
can help in tracking cases.
THREE STRIKES AND SANCTIONS<br />
• Fifth Circuit Library intranet site<br />
• Pro Se Law Clerks tab http://library.circ5.dcn/ProSe/<br />
– Internal District Court Lists<br />
– Fifth Circuit Sanctioned & Warned Litigants
THREE STRIKES AND SANCTIONS<br />
• Seventh Circuit<br />
– Three Strike List:<br />
http://www.circ7.dcn/caseproc/3Xexplains/3Xframeset.htm.<br />
– Restricted Filer list:<br />
http://www.circ7.dcn/caseproc/RFexplains/RFframeset.htm.
THREE STRIKES AND SANCTIONS<br />
• Fifth Circuit<br />
– E.D. of Texas Three Strike/Sanction List (all states within<br />
the Fifth Circuit and several others):<br />
http://156.124.4.123/sanction.htm
THREE STRIKES AND SANCTIONS<br />
• National Pro Se Three Strike Database<br />
– http://nprose.circ9.dcn/
THREE STRIKES AND SANCTIONS<br />
• How can the process be automated?<br />
• Common flags for strikes and barred orders<br />
that could be searched nationwide.
NEXT GENERATION OF <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• First Release – August 2014<br />
– Central sign-on via PACER Service <strong>Center</strong><br />
– Customizable workspace<br />
– Enhanced reports component<br />
– New calendar feature
NEXT GENERATION OF <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Second Release – September 2015<br />
– Possibly Tracking Prisoner Strikes under the PLRA<br />
– Enhanced bankruptcy noticing and order<br />
processing.<br />
– New electronic submission system for pre-case<br />
and proposed sealed and unsealed documents<br />
requiring action by the court prior to filing them in<br />
the case management system
NEXT GENERATION OF <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• How can you keep informed?<br />
– Consult the NextGen website on the Jnet<br />
– Review the monthly Project Status Report<br />
– Contact a TDYs and/or one of the members of the<br />
Project Steering Group or of the District <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
Working Group<br />
http://jnet.ao.dcn/resources/national-applicationsand-systems-supported/casemanagementelectronic-case-files-cmecf-nextgeneration
NEXT GENERATION OF <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Lotus Connection Sites of Interest:<br />
– Staff Attorneys<br />
– Judges and Chambers IT News and Discussion<br />
(Created & maintained by District Judge David<br />
Nuffer, District of Utah)
Case Management in the<br />
District of Arizona<br />
VIRTUAL JUDGES<br />
&<br />
PRO SE CASE TRACKER<br />
JAMES MCKAY<br />
STAFF ATTORNEY
Centralized Pool of Attorneys<br />
“Encourage sharing or pooling of pro se law clerks<br />
and death penalty law clerks to enable the most<br />
efficient and effective use of resources.”<br />
<strong>Judicial</strong> Conference of the United States, September 11, 2012
Flexibility<br />
• Ability to shift work from chambers to the staff<br />
attorneys and vice versa as workloads change.<br />
• Ability to shift work between staff attorneys.<br />
• Specialization: Screening; Dispositive Motions;<br />
Immigration; etc.
Shared Resources<br />
• Proposed Order Templates.<br />
• Boilerplate – all attorneys update and edit.<br />
• Access to entire work product, with term search<br />
functionality.
Uniformity<br />
• Compare approaches person-to-person and by<br />
looking at current work.<br />
• Staff Meetings — discuss emerging issues and<br />
potential inconsistencies.<br />
• Implementation of decisions made by the Court.
Accountability<br />
• Even distribution of workload.<br />
• Apples-to-apples comparison of work product and<br />
productivity.<br />
• All staff answerable to a single judge.
Virtual Judges<br />
• Screening – MJ(PS).<br />
Case opening to service order.<br />
• Dispositive Motions – VJ Staff Attorney.<br />
After fully briefed and MJ referral withdrawn.
Screening – MJ(PS)
Dispositive Motions – VJ Staff Attorney
Pro Se Case Tracker<br />
• Internet based case management application in<br />
Lotus Notes.<br />
• Random/direct assignment on Tracker by Clerk.<br />
• Direct subsequent assignment by Clerk per MJ (PS)<br />
virtual judge on docket.<br />
• Multiple views of assignments:<br />
• Party Name<br />
• Number<br />
• Staff Attorney<br />
• Outstanding Assignments<br />
• Completed Assignments
Tracker – Party Name View
Tracker – Number View
Tracker – Staff Attorney View
Tracker – Outstanding Screening
Tracker – Outstanding Dispositive
TRACKING<br />
PRISONER CASES<br />
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> FLAGS AND EVENTS<br />
Kristin M. Vanden Berg<br />
Pro Se Attorney – W.D. Mich.
District-Wide System<br />
• All District Pro Se clerks (in both Marquette and Grand Rapids)<br />
share a single drive on the network, templates, substantive<br />
boilerplate, and a Microsoft Access database of cases and<br />
entries.<br />
• All judges in the district have agreed to accept Pro Se<br />
documents in a standardized form, even if it is not the judge’s<br />
usual style.
Shared Organization<br />
• Shared WordPerfect Files on Pro Se Drive<br />
• Shared Templates<br />
• Shared Boilerplate<br />
• Microsoft Access Case Management<br />
• Shared Access Database<br />
• Shared Access Entries – Login and Logout<br />
• <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Case Flag Management<br />
• Case Flags<br />
• Case Events<br />
• Case Flow<br />
• Private entries on <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Three-Strikes List
Shared Drive:<br />
WordPerfect Files
Pro Se Folders
Boilerplate
Templates
Microsoft Access<br />
Case Management
Access Database Shortcut View
Access Login/Logout Screen
Access Database – All Cases
Access Database Codes<br />
• CIVIL RIGHTS HABEAS<br />
• C1. Screening Tasks H1. Screening Tasks<br />
• Dismissal Dismissal<br />
• Partial dismissal Partial dismissal<br />
• Service or order to answer Service or order to answer<br />
• Transfers for venue Returning for insufficiencies<br />
• Transfers for venue or second/successive<br />
• C2. IFP Tasks H2. Drafting R&R for a post-screening case<br />
• Determinations regarding IFP status (3 strikes,<br />
• deficiencies, severing multiple plaintiffs, and<br />
• time extensions) H3. IFP tasks, motions and certificates<br />
• Dismissals based on failing to comply with IFP status in an action<br />
• IFP procedures (pay initial partial filing fee, Determinations on appeal<br />
• cure a deficiency, filing fee after Post-judgment motions (reconsideration)<br />
• getting three strikes) Other types of motions<br />
• Determinations on appeal Certificates of appealability<br />
•<br />
• C3. Motions H4. Drafting Opinion reviewing R&R<br />
• Post-judgment motions (reconsideration)<br />
• Other types of motions, such as show cause<br />
• C4. Drafting Opinion reviewing R&R H5. Other<br />
• Analysis resulting in no written order<br />
• C5. Other Truly miscellaneous<br />
• Analysis resulting in no written order<br />
• Truly miscellaneous
Sample Report
Case Flag<br />
Management<br />
Case flags, Case events, Case Flow, and Private<br />
Entries on <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong>
Case Flags<br />
• PROSEPRESCREEN<br />
• PROSESCREEN<br />
• 3XFEEDUE<br />
• FILINGFEEDUE<br />
• INITIALFEEDUE<br />
• PROSEREFER<br />
• PROSEMISC<br />
• FORMREQUIRED<br />
• PROSEAPPEAL<br />
• PROSEDEPT<br />
• PROSEMOTION<br />
• PROSESTAYED<br />
• SERVICE
Case Events
Utility Events for Pro Se
Prisoner Litigation Events
Prisoner Orders
Case Flag Report
Motions Report Using Flags
E-File Checklist
Three-Strikes List
Three-Strikes List Screen Shot
Summary<br />
• Our case management system requires the following:<br />
• <strong>Judicial</strong> agreement to common style and management<br />
• Clerk’s office and automation department cooperation<br />
• Access to a common drive<br />
• Shared templates and boilerplate<br />
• Microsoft Access database and reporting<br />
• <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Case Flag Management<br />
• Case Flags<br />
• Case Events<br />
• Private Entries on <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Creation and automatic updating of Three-Strikes List
Prisoner Litigation Case<br />
Management<br />
Laurie Gilliland<br />
Prisoner Litigation Staff Attorney<br />
District of Utah
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> CUSTOM REPORTS and<br />
CASE VISUALIZATION<br />
by<br />
Sara Ann Mainquist<br />
Pro Se Law Clerk<br />
Western District of Wisconsin<br />
FJC National Pro Se Law Clerk Conference<br />
September 2013<br />
78
The Last PowerPoint<br />
79
United States District Court<br />
Western District of Wisconsin<br />
∗One District Judge<br />
∗ (47% of civil docket is pro se)<br />
∗One Senior District Judge<br />
∗ (38% of civil docket is pro se)<br />
80
Recognize anyone?<br />
81
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Flags and Event Codes<br />
82
Types of Custom Reports<br />
83
Selecting variables is easy.<br />
84
Benefits<br />
∗ Flexible<br />
∗ Informative<br />
∗ Easy to use<br />
∗ Saves time<br />
∗ Accessible<br />
∗ “Low maintenance”<br />
87
Custom Reports: Case Visualization<br />
∗ Visualize your caseload getting bigger and bigger and<br />
bigger . . . OMG!<br />
88
Closing Remarks
Additional Applications of Interest<br />
• Link Builder<br />
• Preserving Comments in <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• Full Text Search Function<br />
• <strong>ECF</strong> Form Orders<br />
• Orders that Pull Information Directly from<br />
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong>
Learn More about <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
You are not alone!<br />
• Someone is bound to know<br />
what to do.<br />
Ask for Assistance<br />
• Your Clerk’s Office can help.<br />
• The IT Department can also<br />
offer or develop a solution.<br />
• Post a question on Lotus<br />
Connection so that staff<br />
attorneys or clerk’s office<br />
employee can offer<br />
assistance/ advice.
Questions & Answers
Other <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Tools of Interest<br />
Lina Figari<br />
Staff Attorney<br />
Northern District of Texas<br />
214-753-2259
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Tools of Interest<br />
• Link Builder<br />
• Full Text Search Function<br />
• Preserving Comments in <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> for court<br />
users.<br />
• <strong>ECF</strong> Form Orders<br />
• Orders that Pull Information Directly from<br />
<strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong>
Link Builder<br />
• LinkBuilder creates hyperlinks to<br />
corresponding files in the <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> System.<br />
• LinkBuilder can recognize and link to<br />
attachments in the record, as well as pagespecific<br />
references, to create pinpoint access<br />
to specific information in a case.
Full Text Search<br />
• Full Text Search in <strong>ECF</strong> allows court users to<br />
search docket text and document text for<br />
specific types of information, e.g. name, case<br />
type, document type, etc.<br />
• Documents electronically filed in a searchable<br />
format are indexed with their associated<br />
docket text.
Full Text Search
Preserving Comments in <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong><br />
• The Eastern District of Tennessee and the District of<br />
Utah have enabled comments for chambers users that<br />
are preserved in <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong>. These comments can be<br />
attached to Cases, Motions or Docket Entries and are<br />
visible on special modified reports including:<br />
– Motions Report (Comments)<br />
– Motion Comments Summary<br />
– Docket Sheet (Comments)<br />
– Civil Cases (Comments)<br />
– CJRA - Comments<br />
• The District of Utah has posted a User's Guide as well<br />
as technical information.
Form Orders<br />
• <strong>ECF</strong> Form Orders<br />
• Programs that Merge Data from <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> and<br />
other applications to create orders and<br />
judgments.<br />
– Case Manager, Northern District of Texas<br />
– JCC, Northern District of Texas<br />
to create judgments in a criminal case
Lotus Connection Communities of Interest<br />
• Judges and Chambers IT News and Discussion<br />
(Created & maintained by District Judge David<br />
Nuffer)<br />
• Collaborative Applications Development<br />
Community (CAD) (IT community)<br />
• HTML Forms for <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> using Template Tools<br />
(information about <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> form orders).<br />
• <strong>CM</strong>/<strong>ECF</strong> Reports (new community created<br />
post questions about custom reports)
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