E-filing available in Keith County District Court

E-filing of civil cases in the Keith County District Court is now available on a 24-hour, 7-day a week basis. Gone are the days of needing a postage stamp or paying the expense of a runner to take filings to the courthouse. Attorneys are no longer restricted to file paperwork between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The E-filing window is available 24 hours per day every day of the year. There are 35 out of 53 case subtypes that currently can be electronically filed at no additional expense as a Nebraska.gov subscriber.

The Nebraska Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts and Nebraska.gov have developed a new system for the purpose of E-filing certain case types in the Nebraska district courts. Keith County is one of just a handful of district courts now offering the service. Lancaster, Sarpy and Scotts Bluff County District Courts began E-filing in 2008. Several district courts are scheduled to offer the service this summer.

Okay, how does it work?

As a subscriber to Nebraska.gov (annual fee of $50.00) and a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, you are eligible to use the E-filing system. There are no additional fees to file a case electronically, other than the normal court-assessed fees for filing cases. You will need to agree to pay the normal court filing fees using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system so Nebraska.gov can transfer the filing fee payment from your bank account to the Keith County District Court bank account. After the ACH arrangement has been tested and sent to Nebraska.gov, you will be provided an ID and password to log into the system. To access the E-filing Web site you will need internet access. Once you are logged in to the E-filing Web site, you will be presented with simple fill-in screens that will document the case type and party information for the case you are filing. You will attach a portable document file (PDF) of the Complaint and Praecipe for your case to the screen. Once you have completed the screen presentation, your case is sent to JUSTICE (the state's case and financial management system). From there, a Keith County District Court staff person will review your E-filed case and accept your filing. An email is generated and sent to your email account notifying you of the case number and the date and timestamp of your E-filed case.

Is it easy to use?

Yes, it takes only a matter of minutes to E-file a new or existing case in the Keith County District Court.

Do I need a training class to use this service?

A demonstration of how to E-file a case is available at www.nebraska.gov/courts/efile/demo/ If you have trouble accessing the demo, contact Nebraska.gov at 800-747-8177.

Are new cases the only type of case I can E-file?

No, the system has the capability for you to file documents in an existing case provided you know the existing case number.

Can I access images stored in the Keith County District Court?

As a Nebraska.gov subscriber and a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association you will have access to images in JUSTICE. There is a $1.00 fee to access case information in JUSTICE and you can display, print or store a copy of any image

contained in the file.

What do I need to begin to use the E-filing system at Keith County District Court?

􀀀 Member in good standing of the Nebraska State Bar Association

􀀀 Current subscriber to Nebraska.gov (1-800-747-8177)

􀀀 Arrange an Automated Clearing House (ACH) exchange with Nebraska.gov

􀀀 Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) with internet access

􀀀 Some version of PDF software (Adobe Acrobat, etc.)

How are the E-filing system costs being covered?

The State Court Automation Fee is covering the cost of the E-filing system.

Are other trial courts in Nebraska going to make E-filing available?

Yes, additional courts are being added to the group of E-filing courts each month. See

http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/court-information-tech/e-filing.shtml for a list of E-filing courts. Some county and district courts that currently have civil E-filing in place are accepting criminal E-filings at the same time. Keith County is one of those courts. The Keith County Attorney can now file criminal Informations & pleadings via e-filing.

Are there rules governing E-filing?

Yes, they are available on the Nebraska Judicial Branch’s Web site at www.supremecourt.ne.gov/rules/pdf/Ch6Art4.pdf