CHALLENGES IN FIRST TWO WEEKS ALSO DELIVER BENEFITS

AT A GLANCE

• Mandatory Electronic Filing has saved the court 125,670 pages of paper in its first two weeks.
• Those pages would have filled 63 banker boxes with paper. In the past, those boxes would have been stored in a file room.
• A total of 6,798 transactions have been processed “no charge” in the Clerk’s Office.

LAS VEGAS – The equivalent of 63 boxes of civil complaints, Family Court documents and miscellaneous filings have been delivered to the Eighth Judicial District Court in the first two weeks of mandatory electronic filing all with the push of a button. In the past, all 125,670 pages of documents would have been hand-stamped, scanned and then filed in boxes for storage. Today, all of these pages are being delivered electronically to the court’s computer system.

“The Court consistently has demonstrated its commitment to efficiencies and long-term cost containment,” said Chief Judge T. Arthur Ritchie, Jr. “This is a massive change in the way we do business and it will revolutionize our courts.”

From February 1 through February 12, 2010, the District Court processed 24,548 civil and family transactions using the court’s e-filing vendor WizNet.  A  small number,  3,602  transactions, were rejected by the  court  for  various  reasons,  including  a lack of signature or missing documents.  A total of 20,946 transactions were accepted for adjudication in the District Court.

The process has required adaption by litigants and the Court Clerk’s Office.  The large number of accepted transactions indicates attorneys and law firms are doing a good job of submitting documents correctly to the court, said Civil Presiding Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez.

“We appreciate the willingness of the law firms and attorneys to learn this new system and use it,” said Judge Gonzalez. “Everyone’s patience is appreciated as we continue to strengthen the system and improve our customer service.”

The Court Clerk’s Office has faced a number of challenges in the first two-weeks of e-filing:

• The court has received approximately 3,000 civil filings and 2,500 family filings each day, which is much more than anticipated prior to mandatory e-filing.
• The vast number of filings has slowed the court’s ability to accept and process documents. The wait times are now down to 24 hours for civil case types. It is still taking about a week to process Family and Probate court documents.
• Documents have been rejected because of incorrect case numbers, missing signatures and incorrect document titles. For instance, document titles must be submitted in Title Case Only to be accepted by the system.  Double-checking documents first will ensure transactions will be accepted by the court the first time.

The court has processed roughly 70-percent of its documents through WizNet, while roughly 30-percent have been filed in the self-service kiosks at the Court Clerk counters.

“We processed more pro bono, in-kind service and no-charge documents at our Clerk’s counters than most courts process in an entire week,” said Court Executive Officer and Clerk of the Court Steven D. Grierson. “Those documents, totaling 6,798, make up a small percentage of the total 24,548 electronic filings submitted from law offices. We have been very busy accepting new filings, correcting problems and making sure our systems are working as effectively as possible.”

Tips for making the system work better include filing early, including electronic signatures or signed documents and ensuring documents include the correct case numbers. Users are encouraged to call for assistance with the court’s e-filing system: (702) 671-0514 (Civil) or (702) 455-5941 or 455-2357 (Family).

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