PACER User Manual

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PUBLIC ACCESS

TO COURT

ELECTRONIC RECORDS

USER MANUAL

Updated:October 2000

http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pacermanual.pdf

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PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURT ELECTRONIC RECORDS

WEB-BASED PACER

DIAL-IN PACER

NIBS

ABBS

USER MANUAL

Table of Contents

1. OVERVIEW ..............................................................1

2. INTRODUCTION TO COURT ELECTRONIC ACCESS .......................1

3. PACER SERVICE CENTER HOME PAGE ..................................2

4. WEB-BASED PACER .....................................................3

4.A General Information .............................................3

4.A.1 What is Needed ..............................................3

4.A.2Availability ..................................................3

4.A.3Security ....................................................3

4.A.4Cost ......................................................3

4.A.4.1 Dockets .......................................4

4.A.4.2 Case Reports ...................................4

4.A.4.3 Search Results ........................................4

4.A.4.4 Images ..............................................4

4.A.5Billing ......................................................4

4.A.6Information Currency ..........................................5

4.A.7Saving .....................................................5

4.A.8Printing ....................................................5

4.A.9Connecting ..................................................5

4.A.10 Universal Login ..............................................6

4.A.11 Exiting .....................................................6

4.B U.S. Party Case Index for the Web .................................7

4.B.1All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index .............7

4.B.2Information Currency ..........................................7

4.B.3Search Capability .............................................7

4.B.4Getting Additional Information on Cases ............................8

4.B.5Search Options ..............................................8

4.B.5.1 All Court Types ......................................9

4.B.5.2 Appellate .....................................9

4.B.5.3 Bankruptcy .........................................10

4.B.5.4 Civil ..............................................11

4.B.5.5 Criminal ...........................................12

4.B.6Report Options .............................................12

4.B.6.1 Court Code List .....................................12

4.B.6.2 Date Ranges ..................................12

4.B.6.3 Courts Not on Index ..................................12

4.B.6.4 Statistical Reports ....................................13

4.B.7User Options ...............................................13

4.B.7.1 Change Client Code ..................................13

4.B.7.2 New Login .........................................13

4.B.7.3 Billing History .......................................13

4.B.7.4 PSC Home Page .....................................14

4.B.7.5 E-mail PSC .........................................14

4.B.7.6 Logout ............................................14

4.C U.S. District Courts (Civil or Criminal) for the Web ...............15

4.C.1Understanding Case Numbers ..................................15

4.C.2Understanding Docket Reports ..................................15

4.C.3U.S. District Court PACER Options ..............................17

4.C.3.1 Docket Report Search ................................17

4.C.3.2 Review Billing History .................................18

4.C.3.3 Local Options .......................................18

4.C.3.4 Help ..............................................18

4.C.3.5 New Login .........................................18

4.C.3.6 Client Code ........................................18

4.D U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Web ..............................19

4.D.1Understanding Case Numbers ..................................19

4.D.2U.S. Bankruptcy PACER Report Options .........................19

4.D.2.1 Case Information ....................................19

Full Summary Docket Report Claims Register

Case Status Attorney Trustee

Party Alias Associated Press

History Filers Documents

Deadline/Schedules

4.D.2.2 New Cases Report ...................................23

4.D.2.3 Creditor Mailing Matrix ................................23

4.D.3Other Options ..............................................24

4.D.3.1 Review Billing History .................................24

4.D.3.2 Local Options .......................................24

4.D.3.3 New Login .........................................24

4.D.3.4 Client Code ........................................24

4.E U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Web ...............................25

4.E.1Running A Docket Search .....................................25

4.E.1.1 Docket Sheet by Case Number ..........................25

4.E.1.2 Docket Sheet by Party Name ...........................25

4.E.2Other PACER Options .......................................26

4.E.2.1 PACER Service Center ................................26

4.E.2.2 New Login .........................................26

4.E.2.3 Change Client .......................................26

4.E.2.4 Billing History .......................................27

4.E.2.5 Comment ..........................................27

5. DIAL-IN PACER ........................................................28

5.A General Information ............................................28

5.A.1What is Needed .............................................28

5.A.2Technical Specifications .......................................28

5.A.3Availability .................................................28

5.A.4Cost .....................................................28

5.A.5Billing .....................................................29

5.A.6Information Currency .........................................29

5.A.7Capturing ..................................................29

5.A.8Printing ...................................................29

5.A.9Connecting .................................................30

5.A.10 Time Limits ................................................30

5.A.11 Other Limits ................................................30

5.A.12 Exiting ....................................................30

5.A.13 Getting Answers to Questions ...................................30

5.B U.S. Party Case Index (Dial-Up) ..................................31

5.B.1All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index ............31

5.B.2Information Currency .........................................31

5.B.3Search Capability ............................................31

5.B.4Getting Additional Information on Cases ...........................31

5.B.5Saving Information ...........................................32

5.B.6Printing ...................................................33

5.B.7How to Access the System .....................................33

5.B.7.1 Connecting .........................................33

5.B.7.2 What Appears After a Successful Login ....................34

5.B.7.3 Name Searches ......................................36

5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the Country to Search ................37

5.B.8Searching ..................................................38

5.B.8.1 Bankruptcy Name of Social Security/TIN Search ............38

5.B.8.1.1 Performing a Bankruptcy Name Search ...........38

5.B.8.1.2 Performing a Bankruptcy SS or TIN Search .......39

5.B.8.2 Civil Name Search ...................................40

5.B.8.3 Civil Nature of Suit Search .............................41

5.B.8.4 Criminal Name Search ................................42

5.B.8.5 Appeals Name Search ................................43

5.B.8.6 Appeals Nature of Suit Search ..........................44

5.B.8.7 All Case Type Name Search ............................45

5.B.8.8 Other Menu Items ....................................46

5.B.8.8.1 Date Ranges of Information Provided ............46

5.B.8.8.2 Court Code List ............................46

5.B.8.8.3 Courts Not Included on Index ..................46

5.B.8.8.4 Message Center ............................46

5.B.8.8.5 General Information and Bulletins ...............46

5.B.8.8.6 Review Billing History ........................46

5.B.8.8.7 Change Your Password ......................46

5.C U.S. District Courts (Dial-Up) ...................................47

5.C.1Understanding Case Numbers ..................................47

5.C.2Understanding Docket Reports ..................................47

5.C.3Understanding PACER District Court Release ......................47

5.C.4Searching By Case Number ....................................47

5.C.5Searching By Party Name .....................................48

5.C.6Searching By Filing Date ......................................48

5.C.7Pick Lists ..................................................48

5.C.7.1 Case Number and Party Name Pick Lists ..................48

5.C.7.2 Filing Date Pick Lists .................................48

5.C.7.3 Defendant Pick Lists ..................................48

5.C.8Viewing Docket .............................................49

5.C.9Downloading ...............................................50

5.D U.S. Bankruptcy Courts (Dial-Up) ................................51

5.D.1Understanding BANCAP Case Numbers ..........................51

5.D.2Understanding BANCAP Reports ...............................51

5.D.2.1 BANCAP Reports ...................................51

5.D.2.2 Sample Active Case Option ............................52

5.E NIBS- National Integrated Bulletin Board System (Dial-Up) ........53

5.E.1What is NIBS? .............................................53

5.E.2Settings ...................................................53

5.E.3Steps to Getting Access Using NIBS .............................54

5.E.4Main Menu Options ..........................................55

5.E.4.1 Search for Bankruptcy by Case Number ...................55

5.E.4.2 Search for Adversary by Adversary Number ................55

5.E.4.3 Search for Bankruptcy or Adversary by Party Name ..........55

5.E.4.4 Search for Bankruptcy Party Name by Social Security or Tax/ID ..56

5.E.4.5 Search for Attorney/Trustee/Professional Address/Phone .......56

5.E.4.6 Display Judges’ Calendar ..............................56

5.E.4.7 Change Client ID .....................................56

5.E.4.8 Quit and Log Out ....................................56

5.F ABBS- Appellate Bulletin Board System (Dial-Up) .................57

5.F.1Selecting Files ..............................................57

5.F.2Opinions ..................................................57

5.F.3Docket Sheets ..............................................57

5.F.4Other Information ............................................57

5.F.5Menu Options ..............................................58

5.F.5.1 Opinions Menu ......................................58

5.F.5.2 Records Menu ......................................58

5.F.5.3 User Options ........................................58

5.G Using PACER, NIBS, ABBS - Dial-In Bulletin Board Systems .......59

5.G.1Connecting .................................................59

5.G.2Hanging Up the Modem Connection ..............................59

5.H Courts with Special Requirements ...............................60

5.H.1California Central Bankruptcy Courts .............................60

5.H.2Alabama Northern Bankruptcy Courts ............................62

5.J Tips for Electronic Access .......................................63

5.J.1Case Number Wildcarding .....................................63

5.J.2Litigant Analysis .............................................63

5.J.3Searching By Name ..........................................63

5.J.4Common Names ............................................64

5.J.5Directory of Electronic Public Access Services ......................64

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1. Overview

This manual provides PACER users with a better understanding of what PACER is and how it works.

This manual explains the different systems and how to utilize them most effectively. At this time there

are two types of access, a web-based and a dial-in. To distinguish the difference between these two, it

is essential to read through this manual. Also, generic instructions for accessing web-based and dial-in

district, bankruptcy and appellate court PACER systems are offered in this document.

2. Introduction to Electronic Public Access

The Federal Court system has services and technologies designed to provide people outside the court

(the "public") with easy access to court information. The United States Courts designed an electronic

public access system called PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) for the U.S. District

Courts, the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, and the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.

PACER systems are beneficial for quickly tracking or retrieving accurate information about current

federal cases. These systems provide lists of cases, searched by name or filing date, as well as

comprehensive electronic case summaries and dockets. This is easily accessible information that may

be printed or saved.

Traditionally, PACER has allowed any user with a personal computer the ability to dial-in to a district,

bankruptcy, or appellate court computer and retrieve official electronic case information and court

dockets. Now, PACER is also available on the Internet in a web-based format; however, there are still

some courts requiring communication software and a modem for a connection. Note: Each court

maintains its own computer system and case information database; therefore, there will be some

variations among jurisdictions as to the format and content of information offered.

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3. PACER Service Center Home Page ( http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov )

Visit the PACER Service Center (PSC) website at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov . This site contains

helpful information for PACER users as well as for those interested in obtaining PACER access.

Visitors can access sample data, register for PACER, link to PACER websites, review FAQs, and

retrieve PACER user manuals and modem listings.

Some other special features provided include:

!“Account Information” - PACER users can change account information, change

passwords, check account balance, check court registration, register for additional courts,

review transaction history, download quarterly statements, and subscribe/unsubscribe to the

PACER mailing list.

!“County/District Locator” - Locate the district or county where a case is filed. It is

possible to search for a district by county name, search all counties in a district, or search for a

county name by county code.

!Email Notification - Users can receive current PACER information directly to their email

accounts. The information will include items such as changes to our web site, new courts with

PACER websites, quarterly announcements, availability of quarterly statements, availability of

monthly transactions, PACER Service Center closures for holidays or bad weather, solicitation

for input from PACER users on proposed changes, and more. Click on “Account Information”

to subscribe.

!“Site Search” - Find items of interest quickly by searching our site using a word or phrase.

To use, simply click on "Search."

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4. Web-Based PACER

4.A General Information

This section contains information about accessing PACER on the web. Information for accessing dial-

up PACER is contained in the following section (5).

4.A.1 What Is Needed

A user will need the following items to access the system:

!Computer - There are no minimum requirements other than having a system capable of running

a web browser.

!Internet Access - This version of PACER is accessible through the Internet; therefore, having

Internet access is required.

!Web Browser - This release of PACER was written as a Web application for Netscape 4.x or

Internet Explorer 4.x and above. However, it is recommended to use the most recent version of

any browser.

!Printer - A printer is indispensable for obtaining a "hard copy"of the information received.

Note: If there is a problem with in-office equipment, contact the equipment vendor (the PACER Service Center

cannot provide assistance). Neither the PACER Service Center nor the court has the resources to provide extensive

technical assistance for trouble with a PC communicating or other problems. Please contact the vendor or local

systems technician if difficulties occur using a terminal or computer equipment.

4.A.2 Availability

The PACER System is available days, nights, and weekends. Confirmation of updates or non-updates

to active and recently closed cases can be verified without having to make repeated trips to the

courthouse for written records.

4.A.3 Security

The Web PACER login screen is protected by the secure SSL Web server. This software encrypts

information from users as it is sent across the Internet keeping their logins and passwords concealed.

When the secure server is being used, the lock at the bottom of the browser will appear locked. A

notice may appear indicating movement from a secure document to an insecure document. This

message may be disregarded.

4.A.4 Cost

The U.S. Congress has given the Judicial Conference of the United Sates, the judicial governing body

of the U.S. Federal Courts, authority to impose user fees for electronic access to case information. All

registered agencies or individuals will be assessed the charge of $.08 per page accessed. Generally, a

page is defined as 54 lines of data. When charges are accrued, a transaction receipt will appear at the

bottom of each html document. This will indicate the number of pages billed for that particular

transaction. Detailed descriptions are listed below

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4.A.4.1 Dockets: Docket reports are generated with form feeds or page breaks marking each page.

The number of form feeds or page breaks within each docket are counted and used to determine the

number of pages for a particular docket sheet before the document is reformatted for display as an html

document. A docket may contain pages with more or less than 54 lines.

Note: Form feeds and page breaks will not appear in the html formatted document displayed on the screen.

4.A.4.2 Case Reports: Case reports such as the New Case Listing or Mailing Matrix, which do not

have form feeds or page breaks, are determined at the rate of 54 lines per page. The lines are counted

from the raw data files before they are formatted for display as an html document on the screen.

4.A.4.3 Search Results: Search results are also billed at the rate of 54 lines per page. Each hit is

considered one line. The lines are counted from the raw data files before they are formatted for display

as an html document on the screen.

4.A.4.4 Images: Some PACER web sites will offer images of documents filed. These images will be

billed according to the number of pages scanned; therefore, each scanned page equals one billable

page. For a listing of these courts, visit the “Links to PACER Web Sites” at

http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov. The courts providing images are annotated with an Image icon.

If information retrieved from a PACER web site is printed, the print job will not always match the

number of pages billed. The number of pages printed is dependent on individual printer and browser

settings. All users are billed the same amount for the same information regardless of the browser

settings or printer configurations. A transaction receipt and the Review Billing History option are

provided in each court site for reviewing charges.

To assess these charges, cookies are used to uniquely identify users while running a Web PACER

application. For more information about cookies, refer to http://www.cookiecentral.com.

4.A.5 Billing

The PACER Service Center sends quarterly statements. For any balance that is less than $10,

payment will be deferred until the account balance reaches $10 or more. Payment can be made by

check, money order, or credit card. Call the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856 to pay a

balance using VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. If payment is made by check,

please include the login on the check to ensure that payment is posted to the correct account. Mail

payment to: PACER Service Center, P.O. Box 277773, Atlanta, GA 30384-7773

If a client code is entered for a transaction, that client code will be presented on the statement. Client

code features are thirty-two character text fields provided for tracking charges. A client code will not

appear on the bill unless it is entered at the time of transaction. Because the client code feature is

optional, it must be enforced within one's office.

If you believe there is an error on your statement, please write to the PACER Service Center, P.O.

Box 780549, San Antonio, Texas 78278-0549. All requests for credit must be submitted in writing.

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In your correspondence, provide us with your name, account number, and the dollar amount of the

suspected error(s) together with a copy of the portion of the statement in question highlighting the

disputed amounts. Please provide a reason for each credit being requested.

4.A.6 Information Currency

The district and appellate courts’ PACER sites are updated from the main court computer once daily.

This will provide access to information from the previous days close of business. The bankruptcy

PACER sites are live. This will provide up to the minute information. If there are questions about the

information the court is providing (How far back does the data go? Why are there docket entries

missing? Or other questions about docket entries), contact the court directly.

4.A.7 Saving

Saving a file can be done one of two ways. The first is to select “Save As...” under the browser tool

bar option, File. Then open the file in word processing software. When the formatted report is saved,

the file will be in HTML format; plain text, or ascii DOS text.

The second way is to use the browser's Clipboard copy and paste functions to save/transfer information

to a desired location. The Clipboard is a temporary storage area in memory used to transfer

information. PACER information can be copied onto the clipboard and then pasted into files in other

applications. Copying and pasting can be used anywhere in the Case Information and Reports

components of PACER.

The copy and paste function is located under the browser's Edit drop-down window. To copy, use the

mouse to highlight the text on the screen. To highlight, click and hold down the left mouse button at the

beginning of the text, drag across to the end of the text, and release the mouse button. The desired text

will be highlighted. Then, select the Edit/Copy (Ctrl-c) to copy the highlighted text to the clipboard. To

paste, point the mouse pointer to the desired Windows application location and then select Edit/Paste

(Ctrl-v).

4.A.8 Printing

To print a screen, click on the browser’s Print button. If there is a "frame" at the top of the screen (in

Query, case information is separated from the rest of the screen by a line, called a frame), click on the

lower half of the screen before clicking the print button. If there is not a frame, click in the body of the

document before clicking on the print button.

4.A.9 Connecting

1. Enter the appropriate URL in the location site of the browser. Most courts will be located at

http://pacer.court*.uscourts.gov. However, links are also available at the PACER Service Center

home site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov in the “Links to PACER Web Sites.”

*The court will consist of the court’s initials. These initials are the state abbreviation of the district (if applicable),

and the first letter of the type of court (b for bankruptcy and d for district). For example, the Texas Northern

Bankruptcy Court will be http://pacer.txnb.uscourts.gov .

2. At the PACER Welcome Page, click on “Login to Pacer.”

Note: If you do not see the “Login to Pacer”, set your browser to enable Java script. You will need to upgrade your

browser if your browser does not support Java script.

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3. Enter assigned PACER login and password at the id and password prompt. All logins and

passwords MUST be entered in LOWER CASE letters. An optional thirty-two character text may

be entered at the client code field for tracking charges.

4. Click on Submit.

4.A.10 Universal Login

Users of PACER on the Internet have the added convenience of a Universal Login feature. This feature

allows a user to login at one PACER site on the Internet and move to other PACER sites without

having to login again as long as the browser remains open. However, if the browser is closed, it will be

necessary to login again. A cookie-enabled browser is required for the Universal Login to work.

4.A.11 Exiting

PACER can be exited at any time by clicking on the Close box to exit the Web browser or by moving

to another Web application. Please note, the amount of time on-line is not significant for billing (see

4.A.5 Billing).

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4.B U.S. Party Case Index for the Web

Electronic public access services have rapidly expanded throughout the federal judiciary in the past few

years. The public demand for these services has increased, both in terms of the number of registrants

and the amount of actual usage. Several hundred registrants regularly review large numbers of cases in

many jurisdictions. Some of these registrants, in particular organizations tracking regional or national

bankruptcy, civil or criminal litigation have requested more efficient methods to retrieve case information

from multiple court jurisdictions. In response to this need, the Judiciary created the U.S. Party/Case

Index at http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov .

The U.S. Party/Case Index is a national index for the United States appellate, district and bankruptcy

courts. Subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index

each night. The index serves as a locator index for the users of the federal judiciary Electronic Public

Access services. Therefore, a nationwide search will determine whether or not a party is involved in

federal litigation. Detailed information on cases found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, may

be accessed through a link, if provided, or by dialing into the PACER system for the particular

jurisdiction where the case is located.

4.B.1 All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index

Not all federal courts participate in the U.S. Party/Case Index. The non-participating courts are listed

under "Courts not on Index" option on the Index’s main menu. These courts do not have data available

on the U.S. Party/Case Index. For a complete nationwide search, those courts need to be searched

individually. The list of non-participating courts found on the Index site is updated nightly.

4.B.2 Information Currency

Each night subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index.

However, information is not retrieved from all courts. Therefore, it is pertinent to review the “Date

Ranges” option from the Index’s main menu or visit http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/range.pl because

not all the courts are up to date. This is especially true for court systems the PACER Service Center no

longer supports.

4.B.3 Search Capability

The U.S. Party/Case Index will allow users to search nationwide by case number, party name or social

security number in the bankruptcy index; case number, party name and/or nature of suit in the civil

index; case number or defendant name in the criminal index; and case number, party name and/or

nature of suit in the appellate index. Each hit produced from a search will give the party name, the court

where the case is filed, the case number, and the filing date.

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4.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases

To access information on a particular case found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, such as a

copy of the docket, either use the case number link to the case summary information or dial into the

particular court's PACER machine where the case is located. Only courts that have PACER accessible

through the Internet will provide a link through the case number. Every PACER user is registered with

all the PACER Internet courts.

NOTE: The charge for viewing a linked docket will not appear in the Review Billing History option of

the U.S. Party/Case Index. The charge will appear at the linked court's Review Billing History option.

The courts that are not accessible through the Internet will not provide a link; therefore, the information

can only be retrieved by dialing into the court. If a user pre-registered with each court, then the user’s

machine. To register for additional courts, either contact the PACER Service Center or visit “Account

Information” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov and register on-line.

4.B.5 Search Options

Searches must be run with at least a party name, a case number, or a nature of suit code. Other fields

are optional and are provided to limit a search. Form instructions and help are available on each online

search menu.

If the criteria searched produces a hit, the data list will be displayed one page at a time. An option is

available to download the entire search results as a text or zip file.

If the court is running the Internet version of PACER, the case number field in the output list will be a

direct link to the full case information on the court’s PACER machine.

The court field in the output list is a link to the PACER modem number for that court or the court’s

PACER web site if the court is available on the Internet.

A receipt will be displayed at the bottom of the screen indicating the number of billable pages and cost

for the data on the current viewable web page only. It does not include the cost for any previously

viewed pages.

When searches are concluded, select the Logout option to view the day’s transactions.

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4.B.5.1 All Court Types

This option will search a party name in appellate, bankruptcy, civil and criminal courts. The search can

be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to

search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning

and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end

date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce

the number of search results.

4. A party name MUST be entered to perform search.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case

Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court where the case is located, the filing

date, and the case number, the chapter for bankruptcy cases, the nature of suit for civil cases, and the

closing date for civil and criminal cases.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWBK for the Texas Western

Bankruptcy Court or TXWDC for the Texas Western District Court. The first two letters will be the

postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the following letter indicating the district within the

state ( C for central district, E for eastern district, M for middle district, N for northern district, S for

southern district, or W for western district). Following the district abbreviation will be either BK for a

Bankruptcy Court, DC for a District Court, or CA for the Circuit Court of Appeals. To view a listing

of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.2 Appellate

This option will search the appellate courts by either case number, a party name and/or a nature of suit

code. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to

search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning

and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end

date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

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3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce

the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, case number, or a nature or suit code must be entered to perform a search. A

combination of party name and nature of suit is allowed. Other combinations of these fields are not

allowed.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case

Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court where the case is located, the case

number, the filing date, the nature of suit code (for civil cases), and the closing date (if applicable) on

each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like 01CA for the First Circuit Court of

Appeals. The first two characters will be a numeric or alpha representation for the circuit followed by

the letters CA for the Circuit Court of Appeals. To view a listing of the court codes, go to “Court

Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.3 Bankruptcy

This option will search the bankruptcy courts by a party name, social security number, tax identification

number, or a case number. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to

search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning

and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end

date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce

the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, social security number, tax identification number, or a case number must be

entered to perform a search. The search will not combine these fields, so only one of these fields can

be entered.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

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7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.

Party/Case Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing

date, and chapter for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWBK for the Texas Western

Bankruptcy Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with

the following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M

for middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view

a listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.4 Civil

This option will search a district court for civil cases by case number, party name and/or nature of suit

code. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to

search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning

and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end

date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce

the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, case number, or a nature of suit code must be entered to perform a search. A

combination of party name and nature of suit is allowed. Other combinations of these fields are not

allowed.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.

Party/Case Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court in which the case is

located, case number, filing date, nature of suit, and closing date for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWDC for the Texas Western

District Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the

following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for

middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view a

listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

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4.B.5.5 Criminal

This option will search a district court for criminal cases by party name or case number. The search

can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to

search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning

and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end

date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce

the number of search results.

4. Either a party name or a case number must be entered to perform a search. The search will not

combine these fields, so only one of these fields can be entered.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.

Party/Case Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court in which the case is

located, case number, filing date, and the closing date for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWDC for the Texas Western

District Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the

following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for

middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view a

listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.6 Report Options

4.B.6.1 Court Code List

This option will provide a list of the court abbreviations used by the U.S. Party/Case Index.

4.B.6.2 Date Ranges

This option will provide the date ranges of the cases in each court. It will specify how far back the

search will go and the last time the U.S. Party/Case Index was updated for each court.

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4.B.6.3 Courts Not on Index

This option will provide a list of the courts not included in the U.S. Party/Case Index at this time.

4.B.6.4 Statistical Reports

The only report available at this time on the U.S. Party/Case Index is the F-5A. Additional statistical

reports are available on the Judiciary’s web site (www.uscourts.gov), under “Judicial Business of the

United States Courts.”

The F-5A report provides a summary of the number of business and non-business bankruptcy petitions

filed, by chapter of the bankruptcy code, for a twelve month period. It displays totals by county code,

as well as each circuit and judicial district. County codes are determined by the county of residence of

the first named debtor in the petitions. Summary categories have been provided for “Within U.S., but

outside home state” and “Outside U.S.”

Note: Details on county codes can be accessed under “County/District Locator” at

http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.B.7 User Options

4.B.7.1 Change Client Code

This option will provide a means for changing a client code to track charges for later billing. In order

for a client code to appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a

search. It can be changed and updated several times during a session.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.

*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.B.7.2 New Login

This option will provide the means to login as a new or different user.

4.B.7.3 Billing History

This option provides billing history for the U.S. Party/Case Index. Included in the Billing History is the

date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client code

(if applicable), the description of the type of information provided, and the search criteria entered to run

the search.

1. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions

will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped

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by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

2. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not

entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

3. Click on Run Report.

4.B.7.4 PSC Home Page

This option is a link to the PACER Service Center home site, http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.B.7.5 E-mail PSC

This option allows users to send an email to the PACER Service Center.

4.B.7.6 Logout

This option will provide the total charges for the day and a complete listing of the day’s transactions for

the U.S. Party/Case Index.

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4.C U.S. District Courts (civil or criminal) for the Web

4.C.1 Understanding Case Numbers

The district court uses four-part numbers. A typical case number is as follows:

"1:00cv12345"

1: 00 cv 12345

(Office (Case (Case (Case

Number) Year) Type) Sequence)

If a court has more than one office (divisional offices), there will be an office code (i.e. 1, 2, 3, or 4) for

each division. All cases opened in a given year have the last two digits of the year as the second part of

the case number. Next, is the case type. This can either be "cv" for a civil case or “cr” for a criminal

case. Finally, there is an ascending sequence number (i.e. 12345). All four parts of the case number

are needed to uniquely identify a case in the court.

Fortunately, if the case type or office number is omitted on the PACER system, it will display all cases

which match the year and number entered. The correct one can then be selected from the list shown.

4.C.2 Understanding Docket Reports

If the user is not familiar with the docket reports, it may take a moment before the format is recognized.

These reports were designed to be the official record of a case, primarily used by individuals intimately

familiar with the format.

The typical docket report contains information obtained from the Civil or Criminal Cover Sheet

submitted by the plaintiff for each complaint filed. The parties and counsel for each party, including an

address and telephone number, appears on the first page of the docket report.

Following a list of the participants in a case, a page break starts a fresh page for the listing of events in

the case.

Additional features of the docket report include:

Docket as of... -- this is the date and time the report was processed on the court's main

computer. If no recent updates have been made to the case, this date may be quite some

time ago since it has not been necessary to reprocess the report when no updates have

occurred.

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Nature of Suit: -- refer to the Civil Cover Sheet list for a complete explanation of the

various codes used here. To view a list of all recognized Nature of Suit codes, visit

“PACER Documents” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

Major categories include:

110-195 Contracts 610-690 Forfeiture/Penalty

210-290 Real Property 710-790 Labor

310-385 Torts 820-840 Property Rights

422-423 Bankruptcy 861-865 Social Security

440-444 Civil Rights 870-875 Federal Tax Suits

510-550 Prisoner Petitions

Jurisdiction: -- The basis of jurisdiction that this complaint can be filed at the U.S.

District Court.

Cause: -- The U.S. Civil Statute (in Title:Section format) under which the plaintiff files the

complaint, as well as a brief description of the statute.

Lead Docket: -- The case docket number of the lead case for associated or joined cases

such as multi-district litigation cases (MDL) and associated cases.

Dkt # in other court: -- The case docket number from another court; cases such as

Bankruptcy Appeals, Removals from State Courts and transfers from other District Courts.

Case Type: -- The major category (Civil, Criminal, or Miscellaneous) and the sub-

category, if any.

[COR LD NTC] -- Stands for "Counsel Of Record", as well as "LeaD" attorney. The

"NTC" indicates this person will receive notices for the case. Could also contain PRO SE,

indicating a self-represented party.

4/19/88 -- The left hand dates in the event list for the case indicate when each event was

filed in the court.

1 -- The sequence numbers which follow the left hand date are unique document numbers

for each filing in the case record. If a "--" appears, there is no document for the particular

docketed entry.

(eaf) -- The initials of the court staff member who docketed the event.

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[Entry date 4/20/88] -- The date the event was electronically entered on the electronic

docket; it appears only if the entry date differs from the filing date.

[Edit date 4/25/88] -- The date this event was edited by the court staff.

There may be additional codes or notations at the top right side of each docket page. These local court

codes or words represent special case identifiers for court or case management processing.

4.C.3 U.S. District Court PACER Options

4.C.3.1 Docket Report Search

The first screen that appears after logging in is the Docket Report Search screen. A search run from

here will provide a specified case's docket report. If more than one party or case fits the search criteria,

a list to choose from will be given. A case summary is provided which will give the size and cost of the

docket requested.

1. In order to specify a case, enter the case number or party name* in the appropriate space and

click on Search. Note: Only one search criteria may be used. If two or more of the search options are

entered, the latter will be searched. For example, if a case number is entered and then the party name

is entered, the case number will be erased as soon as the Search button is clicked.

* Note: When specifying a case with party name, enter either last name or last name, first name/first initial (i.e., smith

; smith, j or smith, john).

* Note: When specifying a case number you may enter either the whole four part case number (i.e. 1:99cr12345) or a

partial number (i.e. 99-12345 or 99cv234).

1.a. A party pick list may be produced if there is more than one party corresponding with the party

name searched. If more choices exist than appear in the display area, scroll bars will be present to the

right of the selection box. Either the mouse or arrow keys* may be utilized to scroll up or down through

the choices. The number of matching parties will be provided at the end of the listing.

*Note: If the arrow keys are not responding, click on the active screen.

1.b. To select a party, click on the preferred selection.

2. In order to retrieve a list of cases for a particular filing date* or retrieve a listing of cases filed within a

certain date range, enter the beginning and ending dates in the appropriate spaces and click on Search.

*Note: To retrieve a list of cases filed for a particular date, enter the date in the first field (beginning date field)and

click on Search.

2.a. A Case Selection Page will appear after a file date is searched. The case list will provide each

case's number, name and file date. The number of matching cases will be provided at the end of the

listing.

2.b. To select a case, click on the preferred case number.

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3. Once a case has been selected, a Case Summary will be provided. At this time, the Report Length

and Display Cost will be given. To accept charges and view the docket information, click on either

“Formatted Report” or “Plain Text.” If images are provided by the court, they will be accessible

through the Formatted Docket Report.

Note: Experimentation may be needed to see whether the Formatted or Plain Text will be better when

viewing, printing, copying or saving the downloaded information. This will vary depending on the

browser used, as well as, any other software applications that will use the information.

4.C.3.2 Review Billing History

This option provides billing history for the jurisdiction being accessed. Included in the Billing History is

the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client

code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided (i.e., a docket report, case

search, etc.), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Review Billing History.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions

will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped

by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not

entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.C.3.3 Local Options

This option is locally developed by the court.

4.C.3.4 Help

This option displays the District Court Web PACER User Guide which contains helpful information

about running this application.

4.C.3.5 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

4.C.3.6 Client Code

This feature will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to

appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be

changed and updated several times during a session.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.

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*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.D U. S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Web

4.D.1 Understanding Case Numbers

When first accessing a court, a new user may not be familiar with the two-part bankruptcy case

numbers used. All cases opened in a given year have the last two digits of the year as the first part of

the case number followed by an ascending sequence number (i.e. 99-99999). Some courts have more

specific protocols for assigning case numbers. Contact the court for information on court-specific

numbering schemes.

4.D.2 U.S. Bankruptcy PACER Report Options

4.D.2.1 Case Information

The first screen that appears after logging in is the Case Information screen.

1. In order to specify a case, enter the case number, party name, attorney name, social security

number, or a tax identification number in the appropriate space and click on search.

When searching by party name or attorney name, a non-case sensitive wildcard search will be

performed. A non-case sensitive search allows you to enter a name in any combination of uppercase

and lowercase letters, which will extract all names which have any combination of matching uppercase

or lowercase letters in the name fields. Wildcard means that all entries which begin with the characters

which you entered in the name fields will be extracted.

When searching by social security number you must enter an exact match, wildcarding is not permitted.

Only one search criteria may be used. If two or more of the search options are entered in, the latter will

be searched. For example, if a case number is entered and then the social security number is entered,

the case number will be erased as soon as the Search button is clicked.

2. A picklist may be produced if there is more than one match. If more choices exist than appear in the

display area, scroll bars will be present to the right of the selection box. Either the mouse or arrow

keys* may be utilized to scroll up or down through the choices. The number of the matching parties or

cases will be provided at the end of the listing.

*Note: If the arrow keys are not responding, click on the active screen.

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3. To select a case or party, click on the arrow to the left of the selection or click on the selection itself.

4. Once the specified case has been selected, a list of available case information options will be given.

Simply click on the desired option to retrieve the information. If the case selected has been archived,

the only options available are: Full Summary, Party, Attorney, Alias, and Trustee. The following are

descriptions of what each option provides.

Full Summary - This will provide a basic summary of the specified case. The information provided

on the Full Summary is as follows:

Case Number: The case number for the target case.

Case Title: The case title for the target case. "Debtor 1 and Debtor 2" for bankruptcy cases; "Plaintiff

1 vs. Defendant 1" for adversary proceedings.

Case Type: The case type of the target case. bk for bankruptcy case; ap for adversary proceeding;

mp for miscellaneous.

Chapter: The chapter of the target case.

Asset: The asset flag for the target case. y signifies "asset case"; n signifies "not asset case"; u signifies

"unknown".

Voluntary Flag: v signifies that the target case is a voluntary bankruptcy case; i signifies that it is an

involuntary one.

Judge: The judge assigned to the target case.

Office: The divisional office for the target case.

Fee: Fee status for the target bankruptcy case. p signifies that the case filing fee has been paid; i

signifies that the case is an installment case and that the final installment has not yet been paid.

Joint Flag: y signifies that the target case is a joint bankruptcy case; n signifies that it is an individual

case.

Reopen: The number of times the target case has been reopened.

Reopen Date: If reopened, the filed date of the docket entry which reopened the case.

Filed Date: The filed date of the petition in a bankruptcy case or the complaint in an adversary

proceeding.

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Term Date: If closed, the filed date of the closing docket entry.

Reterm Date: If reopened, the previous closing date.

Disposition (Disp): If the target case has been closed, the final disposition.

County: The county code for the case.

Flags: If any case flags are present on the target case, they will appear here. Flags are locally

designed and may contain such items as "CLOSED", or "CLAIMS", "MONEY", etc.

Discharged Date: The date the order of discharge was entered.

Status: The next major milestone in the target case.

Trustee: If the target case is a bankruptcy case, the trustee assigned.

Trustee Phone: The phone number for the trustee.

Trustee City: The city from the assigned trustee's address.

Party: All parties added to the target case.

Attorney: Attorneys in the case.

Docket Report - This will provide the docket report for the specified case and images of documents

if they are provided by the court. Information included in this report is the title and number of the case;

the date filed; the judge assigned to the case; related cases; the parties and their attorneys, each event

with document number (if applicable), the date filed; and the docket entry information. Also included is

an option to produce a docket report for a specified date range.

Claims Register - This will provide a list of claims with relevant information for the specified case.

A search may be run by entering a claim number, a range of claim numbers, or leaving blank to retrieve

all claims. This report may be sorted alphabetically by creditor name, or numerically by claim number.

Once the report is run, the information displayed for each claim includes the case number; claims bar

date; debtor's name; "creditor for" name (if applicable); creditor name and address; claim number; date

claim filed; nature of claim; filed late; deficiency; unliquidated; amount; class; total; amount allowed;

order action; duplicate of; duplicate by; amended of; amended by; remarks; description; and

government bar date.

Case Status - This will provide the current status for the specified case (e.g., Awaiting Closing

Order). Included in the information is the status itself; the date the status was established; and the event

that established the status.

Attorney - This will provide all attorneys associated with the specified case. Included in the

information displayed is the name and address of each attorney; the party represented; whether the

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attorney has been terminated from the case; and whether the attorney is pro se.

Trustee - This will provide the trustee(s) assigned to the specified case. Included in the information

displayed is the trustee's address; telephone number; date assigned; and date terminated.

Party - This will display all parties associated with the specified case. Included in the information

displayed is the name and address of each party; the type of party (e.g. defendant); and the parties

terminated date from the case (if applicable).

Alias - This will provide a list of parties for the case (with the type of party included). From there, you

may select any one of the parties; the alias, if there is one, will be displayed.

Associated Cases - This will provide cases related to the target case. Information included is the

member case number; the type of case; and the case title. You can click on the associated case listed

and the program will take you to the Available Case Information Options. From there, you may select

any one of the options for the associated case. To get back to the original case, click on the "Back"

button of the browser.

History - This will provide all the public events docketed to the specified case. Included in the

information is the document number (if applicable); the date filed; a description of the event; and the

docket text of the event.

Filers - This will provide a list of all parties who have filed documents for the specified case.

Information included in the list of all documents that each filer is responsible for include the document

number; filed date; description of document; and the docket text of the document.

Documents - This will provide a list of all the documents associated with the specified case. Included

in the information is the document number; date filed; description of document; filer of the document;

and docket text of the document. If the court provides images of documents, the docket entry number

will provide a link to the imaged document.

Deadlines/Schedules - This will display the pending hearings/deadlines for the specified case.

Included in the information is the description of the deadline/schedule; the filed date; the due date and

time; and the docket text.

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4.D.2.2 New Cases Report

The New Cases Report provides certain case information for cases which have been entered into the

court's database during a specified range of docket dates. It is generally used to view new cases which

have been entered the previous day or previous week. The output can be in 'raw data' (or

unprocessed) format, or a formatted report, depending on which option you specify when running the

report. The report is sorted first by docket date, then by case number and party name. Only debtor,

joint debtor, plaintiff, and defendant participants are listed in the report. The information included in the

report is case number, party's name and address, social security or tax id number, filing date, and the

chapter.

When selecting the 'raw' format, the data is displayed accordingly:

Digit Zip Code|4 Digit Zip Code Extension

To run the report:

1. Click on New Cases Report from the Report Options.

2. Enter a specific date range. If a date range is not entered, the begin date will default to 'yesterday'

and the end date will default to 'today' date.

3. Specify the format of the output. The options will be either raw data or report format.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.D.2.3 Creditor Mailing Matrix

The Creditor Mailing Matrix provides creditor matrix information in either 'raw' (unprocessed format), a

'one column label' format, or a 'three column label' format.

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When selecting 'raw' format the data is displayed accordingly:

If one or more of the above fields is blank, the information is shifted to the left, for example:

Case Number: 96-12345

Name of Creditor: Bugs Bunny

Address 1: [blank]

Address 2: 12345 Bunny Road

Address 3: [blank]

Address 4: Washington, DC 12345

The 'raw' data would appear as: 96-12345|Bugs Bunny|12345 Bunny Road|Washington, DC 12345|||

To run the report:

1. Click on Creditor Mailing Matrix from the Report Options.

2. Enter a case number for the requested creditor mailing matrix.

3. Select the format of output. The options will consist of a one column, a three column, or a raw data

format.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.D.3 Other Options

4.D.3.1 Review Billing History

Billing History is the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the

transaction, the client code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided(i.e., a

docket report, case summary), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Review Billing History from Other Options.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions

will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped

by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not

entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current day.

4. Click on Run Report.

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4.D.3.2 Local Options

This option is locally developed by the court.

4.D.3.3 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

4.D.3.4 Client Code

This feature will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to

appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be changed and

updated several times during a session.

The client code field is located below the list of Other Options, as seen by the image to the left.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.

*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.E U.S. Court of Appeals for the Web

The court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals

from decisions of federal administrative agencies. There are a total of twelve regional circuits that are

made up of the 94 judicial districts. To see a listing of the circuits and the states which make up those

circuits, visit “PACER Documents” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

Note: PACER does not provide access to all the Appellate courts. The courts that are covered by

PACER will provide case summaries and docket reports for cases. Opinions are also available at no

cost.

4.E.1 Running A Search

The screen that appears after successfully logging in is the PACER search screen. In order to retrieve

a Docket Report, either a case number or party/attorney name must be entered.

4.E.1.1 Docket Sheet by Case Number

Enter the Appellate Case Number and Click on the OK button to the right. The case number must be

entered as ##-#### where the first two digits are the year and the last four are the number (i.e.

96-1211).

The case selection will return a one page summary which includes the short title (ie. Simth v.

Jones), nature of suit, district of origin, lower court docket number, lower court judge and the latest

docket entries on the case. There is a 1 page charge for the case summary.

The summary page will also display the page count and cost for viewing the full docket. To view the full

docket and the Opinions, if available, click on either “Full Docket” or “Opinions.” Court opinions are

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offered at no charge.

When viewing the Full Docket, the entire text of the docket sheet is displayed but duplicate blank lines

are removed. While this makes it easier to view the docket sheet, printing will produce fewer physical

pages than the original version of the docket sheet. Billing is based on the number of pages in the

docket sheet before the removal of the duplicate blank lines.

4.E.1.2 Docket Sheet by Party Name

To display a list of cases for a party and/or attorney, enter all or part of the persons last name and first

name separated by a comma. The search is NOT case sensitive and spaces are not needed. Both

Jones, Jim and jones,jim will find the same information.

Do not use wildcards in either the first or last name. Entering Smi will find Smiley, Smith and Smithers.

Entering Smi, Jo will find Joe Smiley, John Smiley, Jonathan Smith and JoAnn Smithers.

Check or uncheck the Party and Attorney check boxes to select the search criteria to be used. Click

on Search to display a listing of cases that match the criteria searched. This listing will provide the Case

Number, Party/Attorney Name and the Short Title. The listing of matched cases will be displayed one

page at a time and charged for accordingly. If more than one page exists for the listing, the option

“Next” will be provided at the top and bottom of the list, in order to retrieve the next page.

To view more information on a case from the list, click on the Case Number to display the case

summary for that case. The case summary consist of a one page summary which includes the short title

(ie. Simth v. Jones), nature of suit, district of origin, lower court docket number, lower court judge and

the latest docket entries on the case. There is a 1 page charge for the case summary.

The summary page will also display the page count and cost for viewing the full docket. To view the full

docket and the Opinions, if available, click on either “Full Docket” or “Opinions.” Court opinions are

offered at no charge.

When viewing the Full Docket, the entire text of the docket sheet is displayed but duplicate blank lines

are removed. While this makes it easier to view the docket sheet, printing will produce fewer physical

pages than the original version of the docket sheet. Billing is based on the number of pages in the

docket sheet before the removal of the duplicate blank lines.

4.E.2 Other PACER Options

4.E.2.1 PACER Service Center

This option is a link to the PACER Service Center home site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.E.2.2 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

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1. Click on New Login.

2. Enter assigned PACER login and password at the id and password prompt. An optional thirty-two

character text may be entered at the client code field for tracking charges.

3. Click on Submit.

4.E.2.3 Change Client

This option will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to

appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be changed and

updated several times during a session.

1. Click on Change Client.

2. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

3. Click on Update.

Note: If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.E.2.4 Billing History

This option provides billing history for the jurisdiction being accessed. Included in the Billing History is

the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client

code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided (i.e., a docket report, case

search, etc.), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Billing History.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions

will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped

by client code in order by date with a subtotal for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not

entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.E.2.5 Comment

This option will provide the means to send an e-mail message to the PACER Services Center.

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5. PACER Dial-In

5.A General Information

This section contains information about accessing the PACER dial-in Bulletin Board System. The

previous section (4) contains information about accessing PACER on the Internet.

5.A.1 What Is Needed

The following items are needed to access the PACER dial-in Bulletin Board System. If there is a

problem with in-office equipment, contact the equipment vendor. Neither the PACER Service Center

nor the court has the resources to provide extensive technical assistance for trouble with a PC

communicating or other problems. Please contact the vendor or local systems technician if basic

difficulties are occurring using a terminal or computer equipment.

!Computer -- A computer allows the user to save downloaded data (case information) onto a

disk for later review, printing, or even editing (such as with a word processor). This will also

provide the means to run some type of communication software.

!Printer -- A printer is indispensable for obtaining a "hard copy" of the information received. It

is much easier to read a printed version, and it can serve as a file document for later reference.

!Modem -- Currently 9600 or faster baud modems are acceptable. Use the fastest speed

possible. It makes the system easier to use, particularly for downloading large docket reports.

5.A.2 Technical Specifications

Most PACER Bulletin Board Systems are in ASCII format and are set for 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and

no parity with vt100 terminal emulation. However, there are some courts that have special software

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requirements. It is important to review the modem listing at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov . If a court

has any specific software requirements, it will be noted.

5.A.3 Availability

Access to electronic information is available virtually around the clock.

5.A.4 Cost

The U. S. Congress has given the Judicial Conference of the United States, the judicial governing body

for the U.S. Federal Courts, authority to impose user fees for electronic access to case information. All

registered agencies or individuals will be assessed the charge of $.60 per minute of access time for dial-

in Bulletin Board Systems. PACER billing begins upon a successful login, and fees will accrue until the

session is terminated by the user or there is an abnormal exit. An abnormal exit is defined as turning off

the modem in mid-transmission, losing the carrier, etc.

5.A.5 Billing