Sunday, January 24, 2010

How do I find information online about a Federal Civil Court Case that has just been filed recently?

There is a particular civil employment discrimination lawsuit that I have been following the motions and decisions made online. It was filed in the CT State Courts in 09/06, and as of October 2, the judge granted the Defendant's motion to remove the case to Federal Court. I need to know the website where I can look up the publicly available information. I was looking under the www.ct.gov judicial website, but now I'm not sure what Federal site to use. Help??How do I find information online about a Federal Civil Court Case that has just been filed recently?
First things first --





Your starting point is:





http://www.ctd.uscourts.gov/





That is the Connecticut District Court (federal) website.





Now, the bad-news is this. Unlike some states, the federal courts all have the information available on-line -- but at a cost. The cost is 8cents per page that you view or download (maximum of 30 pages per document charged).





To get an account, you must register at:





http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov





It is free to register, but you need a credit card.





Actual court orders are not charged in MOST districts.





Ok, now, lets clear a few things up.





First, a removal to federal court is automatic -- at first. The federal court automatically takes jurisdiction, and then can ';remand'; the case to state court if (a) there is not a federal question; (b) there is no other basis for federal court jurisdiction. Most employment discrimination cases are brought under state and federal laws, so the defendant has a right to have the case resolved in federal court.





What's next? Next are some preliminary pleadings. But to follow along and get an actual copy of all documents filed, you will need to go through their electronic filing system, using the steps set forth above.





The good news is this -- once you get an account, you can look at any federal case anywhere in the country. Of course, they will charge you 8c per page too.





Good luck.How do I find information online about a Federal Civil Court Case that has just been filed recently?
Try calling this number:





United States Government--Courts US, US District Court


Hartford, CT zip code


Phone: (860) 240-2635





If the case is being heard in a fed courthouse other than Hartford, they should be able to tell you.
The federal courts use PACER.





https://ecf.ctd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/log鈥?/a>





If you don't have one, you'll need to set up an account.





http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/
Go to the Department of Justice website and find the link for the district in which the case was filed. Just click through the links and you should be able to find it.

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