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Court of Appeals Launches Public Access Search System
To better serve the public and the bar, the Court of Appeals has
developed and on February 1, 2013, will be launching an online service -
the Court of Appeals Public Access and Search System (Court-PASS).
Court-PASS provides an improved method for the filing of records and
briefs in digital format on appeals to the Court of Appeals and, for the
first time, offers universal online access to these documents through a
publicly-searchable database on the Court's website.
Court-PASS will be
maintained as a permanent
public archive for documents related to Court of Appeals cases pending on or filed after January 1,2013. Anyone
may search or browse the Court-PASS database free of charge, and may
view or download documents from every stage of the case at the Court of
Appeals, including motion papers for civil motions in which leave to
appeal has been
granted by the Court of Appeals, and briefs and records in civil and
criminal appeals. Court-PASS also incorporates the videos and
transcripts of oral arguments, as well as Court decisions, all of which
are already available on the Court's website.
The Court-PASS
database offers three retrieval methods: the docket, a browse function
and a search function. The docket contains a snapshot of frequently
requested information for all undecided cases, including the due dates
set for filing of briefs, records and appendices; the dates on
which such documents are actually filed; scheduled dates of oral
argument; and attorney contact information. The browse function allows
users to view a list of all pending and decided cases in the database,
sorted alphabetically by case name. The search function retrieves
pending and decided cases by party name, argument date, decision date,
authoring Judge, appeal number, subject matter classification or
citation, or any combination of these criteria.
The Court
recognizes that Court-PASS increases accessibility to information
contained in public records and briefs. Accordingly, mechanisms have
been built into this digital filing system to ensure that attorneys meet
their responsibilities with respect to confidential and sensitive
matters (e.g., social security numbers, financial account numbers, and
names of minor children). Documents and cases that are sealed by court
order or by operation of law will not be available on
Court-PASS.
In addition to
increased public access, Court-PASS offers a more advanced system for
litigants to submit their appeal papers digitally, replacing the current
system by which hard copies are reduced to CDs or DVDs and mailed to the
Clerk's Ofice. Court-PASS allows parties with appeals, certified
questions pursuant to section 500.27 of the Court of Appeals Rules of
Practice, or judicial conduct matters before the Court to directly
upload to the Court digital copies of records and briefs. As a benefit
to litigants, the required number of papers to be filed in hard copy is
reduced from an original and nineteen copies to an original and nine
copies.
The Court's Rules
have been amended to address Court-PASS and certain other minor matters.
The Court's technical specifications, which are referenced in the Rules,
have also been amended.
For more
information please visit the Court's website at: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/
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