3. The "E-Court" Revolution on 2012-2017.

THE E-COURT REVOLUTION

1.  On January 20, 2012, Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea persuaded the Judicial Council (a panel of senior judges from around the state who set policies for the judicial branch to approve the E-Court MN initiative to make virtually all court filings and rulings available on the Internet within five years.  See here . 

• "The Judicial Council voted to move state courts from a framework of paper files to an electronic information environment. The E-Court MN strategic initiative will result in increased productivity for judges and court staff, and ensure convenient, timely, and appropriate access to court information for court users."

• “The E-Court MN initiative will result in significant benefits for judges, court employees, attorneys, and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of people we serve each year,” said Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea. “It is often said that everybody likes progress, but nobody likes change.  However, the public we serve deserves the most cost-efficient and user-focused judicial system that we can provide, one that is more in tune with the high-tech world in which we live,” said Gildea.   

• The plan approved by the Judicial Council envisions a multi-year transition to an electronic environment that, among other innovations, includes digital imaging of past case files and electronic filing (e-filing) of new cases.

• The first phase of the initiative calls for 10 courts to be selected as pilot sites. Over the past year the Second Judicial District Court (Ramsey County) and the Fourth Judicial District Court (Hennepin County) have been operating a pilot project that allows for the voluntary e-filing of civil cases, and Dakota County District Court has been operating a pilot project to convert paper case files to digital images.

The scope of the initiative includes the following components:

•      E-Filing (including e-Citations and e-Charging)
•      Electronic document management, including document imaging
•      SessionWorks for judges (a touch screen desktop tool for judges to view case records)
•      Electronic transmission of cases to the appellate courts
•      E-Tools (eSignature, eNoticing, eCertification, and other tools that allow for electronic processing of orders)

• “The E-CourtMN initiative will be the most comprehensive reengineering effort yet undertaken by the Minnesota Judicial Branch,” said State Court Administrator Sue K. Dosal, who was charged by the Council with overseeing the initiative.  “Our past successes like the creation of the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) and the Minnesota Court Payment Center (CPC) demonstrate that we are up to this new task,” Dosal said.  The Council directed Dosal to return in six months with a progress report."

2.  On March 22, 2012, the Judicial Branch selected the first nine counties to transfer almost all court filings and records to an electronic format with accessibility to the public. See here.

• "They include district courts in Cass, Clay, Cook, Dakota, Faribault, Kandiyohi, Lake, Morrison, and Washington counties.  Courts in the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County) and the Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County) have already been operating a pilot project that allows for the voluntary e-filing of civil cases."

3.  On June 7, 2012, the original pilot programs in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and Ramsey County (St. Paul) became mandatory to transfer almost all court filings and records to an electronic format with accessibility to the public. See here.

• "Following the success of the pilot, the Minnesota Supreme Court has approved rule changes that will make eFiling and eService of civil cases in Hennepin County and Ramsey County district courts, including family but not probate/mental health and conciliation court cases, mandatory for attorneys and government entities beginning September 1, 2012."  The first electronic filing was made as a test on October 25, 2010 in Hennepin County.

4.  On September 18, 2012, the Judicial Branch announced that full training on-line for filing and accessing most court filings and records would begin on October 1.  See here.

• "Any attorney licensed in Minnesota and staff who will be e-Filing and e-Serving court documents at any time in the future in Minnesota district courts may wish to register now for live online training sessions to be offered twice weekly starting Oct. 1, 2012.  The sessions are for all attorneys and their staff, regardless of whether their local court currently offers eFile and eServe. The sessions will last approximately 90 minutes, with time allowed for questions after the presentation.  Attorneys and their staff can participate in the sessions from any computer. Training is provided online through WebEx, and users will be sent instructions on how to set up their computer for the training upon registration."

5.  On October 3, 2012, the Judicial Branch announced that the courts in Washington County (eastern suburbs) would transfer almost all court filings and records to an electronic format with accessibility to the public. See here.

• "E-Filing and E-Service are two components of the eCourtMN initiative being implemented throughout Minnesota, which will move state courts from a framework of paper file management to an electronic information environment. This initiative, which displays the Judicial Branch’s commitment to provide business solutions in the most effective and efficient manner possible, will result in significant benefits for public and private attorneys, stakeholders, the hundreds of thousands of people served each year, judges, and court employees."

6.  On November 5, 2012, the Judicial Branch announced that the courts in Dakota County (southern suburbs) would transfer almost all court filings and records to an electronic format with accessibility to the public. See here.

• "E-Service provides the opportunity to electronically serve registered parties and eliminate U.S. mail costs.  Not only will eFiling and eService benefit attorneys, it will also allow judges and court staff to view and work with the most up-to-date case documents from anywhere, even when someone else is viewing the case file."  

7.  On December 6, 2012, the Judicial Branch announced the opening of an E-Court Support Center to provide fast answers and assistance to citizens, lawyers, judges, staff, and local governments on how to use the system.  See here.

• "Attorneys, legal administrators, and government agencies seeking to eFile case documents in district courts or serve parties electronically can now get help over the phone or via eMail through the new, centralized MN eFile Support Center. While Support Center staff cannot provide legal advice, advise callers on their rights, interpret law, or comment regarding court rulings, they can assist attorneys and law firm and government agency staff in the use of the Judicial Branch’s electronic filing tool."

8.  On July 5, 2013, the Hennepin County Courts became the first judicial district to offer a one-stop shop for citizens seeking any court records from the county at one site.  See here.

• "The public may look up all civil, conciliation, criminal, housing and probate/mental health case information occurring in Hennepin County."

9.  On May 2, 2014, the Judicial Branch announced that virtually all records of all active cases from any county would be available at all 101 court houses in all 87 counties in the state.  See here.

• "Members of the public are now able to view case documents on public access terminals in all Minnesota state courthouses, regardless of which district court the documents were filed in.  District courts are currently converting documents in all active cases to digital images. The images are stored in the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS), which is accessible through the courthouse terminals. Confidential and sealed case documents are not available through this new service. The effort is part of the Judicial Branch’s eCourtMN Initiative."

10.  On September 1, 2015, the Judicial Branch announced that all records from all appellate courts were available electronically at every courthouse in the state.  See here.

11.  On December 15, 2015, the Judicial Branch announced that e-filing was available in all 87 Minnesota counties.  See here.

• "Our transition to electronic case records has been rightly called the largest transformation in the 150-year history of Minnesota’s Judicial Branch,” said Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea.

• “Through eCourtMN, we are producing new efficiencies in our justice system, making it easier for our users to complete their business with the courts, and expanding on-demand access to information for the public and our justice partners. Making eFiling and eService available across the state is a huge step in this transformation, and we’re pleased to be offering this valuable service to all our customers.”

12.  On July 1, 2016, e-filing became mandatory state-wide for all attorney, public agencies, sheriffs, law enforcement agencies, and guardians ad litem.  People who were representing themselves were allowed to file on paper, until the first time they filed electronically.  See here.

• The transition to electronic filing and service is part of the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s eCourtMN initiative, which has transformed the state’s court system by replacing paper-based court files with an electronic information environment. Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea has called eCourtMN 'the largest transformation in the 150-year history of Minnesota’s Judicial Branch.' The goal of the initiative has been to make the state’s court system more accessible, more efficient, and more convenient for court customers."

13.  On April 10, 2017. the Judicial Branch unveiled new dashboards to allow the public to look at case filings in the state's trial courts.  See here.

  

You can track the case loads state-wide and for each county over the past five years by categories such as family law, juvenile, major civil, minor civil, major criminal, minor criminal, probate and mental health.  See here.

14.  RECOGNITION OF THE INNOVATION OF THE E-COURT SYSTEM:  The E-Court revolution in the Minnesota Courts has been recognized for its innovation.  See here and here.