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District court eFiling expanding across southern Minnesota in early November

Posted: Monday, October 26, 2015

In early November, 24 district courts across southern Minnesota will begin offering court users the ability to electronically file and serve court documents through an online portal.
 
The move to electronic filing and service of case documents – known as eFiling and eService – is part of the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s eCourtMN initiative, which is transforming the state’s court system by replacing paper-based court files with an electronic information environment. The goal of the eCourtMN initiative – which received a 2014 State Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs – is to make the state’s court system more accessible, more efficient, and more convenient for court customers.
 
One of the key elements of the eCourtMN initiative is the establishment of eFiling and eService – giving case participants the ability to submit documents to the court and serve documents on opposing parties electronically, through an online portal. This allows court customers to file documents without traveling to the courthouse or paying for postage or courier costs, allows filers to submit documents immediately and outside of courthouse business hours, and allows court documents to be sent to filers electronically.
 
By the end of October, eFiling and eService will be available in 25 district courts across the state, including courts in Faribault and Rice counties. Between November 2 and November 9, an additional 32 district courts across the state will begin offering eFiling and eService, including the following courts in southern Minnesota:
 
eFiling available Monday, November 2
 
Dodge County District Court
 
eFiling available Thursday, November 5
 
Blue Earth County District Court
Brown County District Court
Cottonwood County District Court
Jackson County District Court
Lincoln County District Court
Lyon County District Court
Martin County District Court
Murray County District Court
Nicollet County District Court                                                                                                  
Nobles County District Court
Pipestone County District Court
Redwood County District Court
Rock County District Court
Watonwan County District Court
 
eFiling available Monday, November 9
 
Fillmore County District Court
Freeborn County District Court
Houston County District Court
Mower County District Court
Olmsted County District Court
Steele County District Court
Wabasha County District Court
Waseca County District Court
Winona County District Court
 
Following this expansion, eFiling and eService will be available in every district court in Minnesota’s Third and Fifth judicial districts.
 
“It is very exciting to bring the benefits of eFiling and eService to the people we serve in southeast Minnesota,” said Third Judicial District Chief Judge Jeffrey D. Thompson. “We’ve been building toward this historic transition to an electronic case record for several years, and I’m pleased that people filing in our courts will soon be able to take advantage of the efficiencies created through these new technologies."
 
District court eFiling and eService operated on a pilot basis in 11 courts across the state – including Faribault County District Court – for several years. Based on the success of that pilot, electronic filing and service became mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, guardians ad litem, and sheriffs filing documents in those 11 pilot counties on July 1, 2015. The Minnesota Judicial Branch aims to make eFiling and eService available in all 87 district courts statewide by the end of 2015.
 
Upon implementation, eFiling and eService will be voluntary for filers in non-pilot counties, meaning filers will still be able to file documents using the traditional, paper-based method. Electronic filing and service in these counties will continue to be voluntary until July 1, 2016. Under recent amendments to Minnesota’s Rules of Court, use of the eFiling and eService system to file court documents will become mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, guardians ad litem, and sheriffs in all district courts statewide on July 1, 2016. Use of the eFiling and eService system will remain voluntary for other filers, such as self-represented litigants.
 
“I am thrilled to see the rest of the Fifth District making this move,” said Fifth Judicial District Chief Judge Bradley C. Walker. “The goal of eFiling and eService is to make it easier and more convenient for our customers to complete their business with the courts. We’ve had great success with eFiling in Faribault County, and it’s great to see this important service expand to southwest Minnesota.”
 
In addition to electronic filing and service of court documents, the eCourtMN initiative includes a wide array of various projects that are utilizing new technologies to increase efficiency and expand access to information throughout Minnesota’s justice system. This includes:
  • Providing judges and court staff with new electronic tools to more efficiently review and process court documents within the courthouse;
  • Creating an electronic portal for government partners – such as law enforcement, prosecutors, and public defenders – to more efficiently access court documents and records;
  • Making it easier and more convenient for the public to view electronic court records from across the state at their local courthouses;
  • Partnering with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to expand use of electronic citations (eCitations) and other charging documents (eCharging). These tools allow law enforcement and prosecutors to file citations and complaints electronically, from their office or squad car, with the data automatically transferred to court and law enforcement databases. Use of eCharging and eCitation will become mandatory for adult complaints and adult citations statewide on July 1, 2016.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted informational resources, training materials, and a three-step guide to starting eFiling and eService at www.mncourts.gov/eFile.  The Minnesota Judicial Branch also operates an eFile Support Center for filers with questions about the eFile and eServe system.