POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FILING, SIGNING, AND ...

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FILING, SIGNING, AND
VERIFYING PLEADINGS AND PAPERS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES
September 2009 Changes
1. Introduction: Citation changed to reflect the appropriate section. Deleted “over the
Internet.”
2. General Policy - Cases Filed Under Seal - Sealed cases are now maintained in an
electronic format. Following sections are renumbered.
3. Registration: Expanded the list of those who may register. Account holders are
responsible for updating their email addresses.
4. User Logins and Passwords: Users may change their passwords and logins.
5. Filing: Special Reports/Martinez Reports - to be conventionally filed.
Original papers signed by criminal defendants and non attorneys no longer
retained.
Bankruptcy records are received electronically.
Document size increased from 5 megabytes to 10 megabytes.
CJA vouchers are maintained separate from the case file.
Sealed records and transcripts are now in an electronic format.
Legible paper pleadings submitted by Pro Se parties may be scanned
discarded.
Filing deadline changed to midnight.
6. Initiating Documents: Praecipes are no longer required. Instructions for removed
actions moved to this section. Reworded summons instructions. Filing deadline
changed to midnight.
7. Filing Fees: Added Pay.Gov as a payment option.
8. Exhibits, Attachments, & Appendices: Instructions for removed cases moved to
another section. Document size increased from 5 megabytes to 10 megabytes.
9. Oversized Documents: Clarified sentences. Added instruction to tab exhibits in
paper copies.
10. Service: Changed the timing for the notice of pleadings that are filed near a trial or
hearing. The phrase“at the commencement” is replaced with “prior to.”
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11. Signatures in Criminal Cases: Documents in criminal cases that are signed by
criminal defendants and non attorneys are now retained in electronic format.
12. Court’s ECF System: Updated language to match current procedures.
13. Orders Initiated by the Court: Sealed orders are now in electronic format.
14. Proposed Papers Submitted by Parties: Citations changed to match Local Rules,
added a reference to LCvR5.5, clarified acceptable format for proposed papers, and
updated list of Judges.
15. Default Judgment: Clarified procedures.
16. Privacy: Modified wording to match current practices.
17. Documents Filed Under Seal: Sealed documents are electronically filed by court
staff and thus no need for registrants to file a Notice of Conventional Filing.
18. Pro Se Litigants: If a pro se litigant’s documents are legible, the clerk’s office may
elect not to retain the paper document.
19. Social Security Cases: Removed language that is now part of F.R. Civ. P. 5.2,
removed the phrase “over the Internet” and replaced it with “remotely,” added a
reference to Immigration cases.
20. Habeas Cases: Reworded language.
21. Prisoner Litigation: Special Reports and Martinez Reports to be conventionally filed.
22. Service of Conventionally Filed Documents: Updated language to match current
practices.
23. Public Access: Removed erroneous section number cited in an earlier version.
24. Glossary: Removed unnecessary terms, changed pixel size to 300, increased
megabyte size limits from five (5) to ten (10).
25. Form for Notice of Conventional Filing - changed language from party “has
conventionally filed” to party “ shall conventionally file.”
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