Putnam County Converts to Odyssey- Your Doxpop Access is Unaffected.

During the weekend of October 13th, the Courts in Putnam County converted to the Odyssey case tracking system, this means their Case Management System is now administered by Indiana Trial Court Technology.

This move does not affect Doxpop users because Doxpop buys access to a real-time feed of court data from the Odyssey system from the Division of State Court Administration. Your access to Putnam County court information through Doxpop will not be interrupted during this transition.

A few of the services we provide will look odd during the transition because there will be a four week period when both the old data and the new data are available. In particular:

• If you use the personal calendar feature to keep track of hearings connected to your Bar ID, you will see two colors for Wabash County on your calendar. Every event will be available, but the older cases will have a different color from the newer cases. When we complete the merge process, these will go back to being a single color.
• When you look at our "County Details Page", you will find two entries for each court until the merge is complete.
• When you are doing searches, you will find two entries for some cases. This is because while we are loading the information from Odyssey, we will also be maintaining the old data until the operation is complete to ensure you don't miss anything. When you see two case entries, please look at both to ensure you have the most current information.
• If you use any of our "watch" services to keep an eye on cases or people of interest, we will be moving those watches over so they point to the cases and people that are a part of the Odyssey data feed. We run a process to convert these every hour, but it is possible for notification of events to slip through the cracks between conversion runs so you may want to periodically do a manual check between now and November 11th. After then, we'll be back to normal.

Tax warrants will not be affected at all by this transition.

Finally, one deficiency in the Odyssey system is that financial information is not exported in their data feed, so that detail will not be available after the transition. We regularly ask that TCT add this to the data feed, but so far, we are told that it is not allowed because the clerks using the Odyssey system have requested that TCT not make that information available to us. If this information is important to you, please encourage the clerks you work with to tell TCT differently so we can get the information back online.

As always, we are available to answer any questions in person, so don't hesitate to call support at 866-369-7671 if you have any questions.

Wabash County Converts to Odyssey- Your Doxpop Access is Unaffected.

During the weekend of September 22nd, the Courts in Wabash County will convert to the Odyssey case tracking system, this means their Case Management System is now administered by Indiana Trial Court Technology.

This move does not affect Doxpop users because Doxpop buys access to a real-time feed of court data from the Odyssey system from the Division of State Court Administration. Your access to Wabash County court information through Doxpop will not be interrupted during this transition.

A few of the services we provide will look odd during the transition because there will be a four week period when both the old data and the new data are available. In particular:

• If you use the personal calendar feature to keep track of hearings connected to your Bar ID, you will see two colors for Wabash County on your calendar. Every event will be available, but the older cases will have a different color from the newer cases. When we complete the merge process, these will go back to being a single color.
• When you look at our "County Details Page", you will find two entries for each court until the merge is complete.
• When you are doing searches, you will find two entries for some cases. This is because while we are loading the information from Odyssey, we will also be maintaining the old data until the operation is complete to ensure you don't miss anything. When you see two case entries, please look at both to ensure you have the most current information.
• If you use any of our "watch" services to keep an eye on cases or people of interest, we will be moving those watches over so they point to the cases and people that are a part of the Odyssey data feed. We run a process to convert these every hour, but it is possible for notification of events to slip through the cracks between conversion runs so you may want to periodically do a manual check between now and October 22nd. After then, we'll be back to normal.

Tax warrants will not be affected at all by this transition.

Finally, one deficiency in the Odyssey system is that financial information is not exported in their data feed, so that detail will not be available after the transition. We regularly ask that TCT add this to the data feed, but so far, we are told that it is not allowed because the clerks using the Odyssey system have requested that TCT not make that information available to us. If this information is important to you, please encourage the clerks you work with to tell TCT differently so we can get the information back online.

As always, we are available to answer any questions in person, so don't hesitate to call support at 866-369-7671 if you have any questions.

Looking for the court calendar for a specific court?

In our last blog post about the updated look, I forgot to point out where we moved the court calendars, a feature many of you count on.

Previously, you could access a court calendar through the court cases tab where we listed all the courts and their coverage periods. To clean up the tab for our increasing number of mobile device users we removed that info from the tab itself but not from the site.

Now you can find that info, and table of counties, by clicking the Indiana map either on the welcome tab in the court case section or on the court case tab. Either link will open in a new window with the court coverage list (just scroll down), along with the link to the county details page you are used to.

We've got some new looks and some new tools!

Our developers have been doing some great coding to streamline your work and we now have some great new features ready for your use.

A much simpler look!

The first thing you may notice is how streamlined we've made each "tab" on our site. If you look below you'll see our new dashboard feature to the left (outlined in red) then in the middle if you want to know more about that particular service, just click the green bar. The search widget is in the same place but with our coverage map to the right. Want more details on coverage? Just click the map.

Let's talk about the exciting new feature- The Doxpop Dashboard

For each of the records services we offer you will now see a dashboard to the left of that service's 'tab'. This dashboard provides at-a-glance access to some of the things you care about most. This is pretty self-explanatory so we won't go into detail. Instead, just take a look at what dashboard for each of the three records services look like below:

Simply click the item on the dashboard and you will be taken right to the place were you can view related details.

We are also working on a dashboard for e-filers, so look for that useful addition in the near future!

These dashboards were developed based on customer feedback. We really appreciate our customers who have taken the time to suggest improvements. Keep 'those suggestions coming!

Update: Looking for the court calendar for a specific court?

See our blog post here. 

Should you ever have any questions about Doxpop's features and services, or you just want to give us a suggestion, email us at support@doxpop.com or give us a call at 866-369-7671.

New: Clear e-filing forms with just a push of a button!

You asked and we delivered! Now you can clear your e-filing forms with the click of a button on both the new filing and subsequent filing pages.

To do this simply use the [Clear this Form] button at the top of the filing area. 

New Case Page

Existing Case Page

Then just confirm that is what you want to do. 

A quick process will run to clear all of your selections and you can start again. 

The problem with fee calculations is ongoing, but we expect a fix Wednesday evening!

Update: We have been notified that the State is going to release a fix for this problem at 7 PM Wednesday evening (Sept 12th).

Back on September 4th, we learned that an update on the EFM (the State's side of the e-filing system) done over Labor Day weekend broke the fee calculations for all EFSPs.

The first communication from the State about this issue indicated that it might be fixed in the next weekend update, but that time has come and gone with no fix, so at this point, we're in the sad position of having to wait for someone else to finish a repair, with no prediction of when it will happen.

In the meantime, you can still e-file... Just ignore the incorrect fee calculations and file as you normally would. The clerks have been instructed by the State to include a manual step in their process that will correct the fees before the filing goes through.

Some important notes related to this issue:

• It doesn't happen with every case. Some cases will look fine.

• If you are paying for Sheriff's service on a civil filing, that payment will still show up in your initial fees. That means you can still use the first "Notice of Electronic Filing" email that you receive as proof of payment when you provide the papers to the Sheriff for Service.

• You can still access the details of your fees in the "My Electronic Filings" Page on the Doxpop system. The difference will be that the fees will not show up correctly until the case is accepted.  This is important if you need to be able to account for fees billed back to your client.

• The extra manual step will make processing harder for the Clerk's offices until this problem is resolved, so expect some delays in processing, and please be patient with the Clerks. This isn't their fault, and it is making their work difficult too!

• Appellate filings are not affected by this issue.

• If this problem has caused you to miss a deadline and you need to file an Affidavit of Inability to E-file per Trial Rule 86(N), take a look at the bottom of our previous post for a few details on where to find that rule.

As soon as we hear more about a final fix from the folks on the State side of the system, we'll provide an update. Hang in there!

Did the fee calculation issue on Tuesday, Sept 4th cause you to miss a filing deadline? Here is what to do.

NOTE: This article will be updated as we learn more 

UPDATE as of 2:45pm 9/5:
Message from Indiana Courts:

"We promised an update today regarding the e-filing issue related to the collection of filing fees. Clerks continue to have the ability to accept new cases. This weekend we plan to make a system upgrade."

So our previous instruction still stands that you can continue to file and the clerks have been instructed to process and accept the filings. When the clerk processes the filing to the proper code, the filing fee should update and your MEF page will then reflect the proper amount. 

Note: We previously noted the accepted email will have the correct amount. This was an error and is not the case as this email does not have payment information. Rather you can reveiw your 'My Electronic Filings' page for the correct charged amount. 

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On the morning of Tuesday, September 4th while working on a customer call Doxpop noticed that new case filings in e-file were calculating fees at $0 which is not correct. We quickly worked to verify this was an issue affecting all e-filers regardless of their service provider and then notified the appropriate contacts with the e-file manager and the state trial court helpdesk. 

Not too long after that, the state did send the following message:

"E-filing is currently experiencing intermittent issues related to the collection of filing fees. As a result, new cases may be rejected by the clerk. We are working with Tyler Technologies to correct this issue. We will provide an update. If problems prevent filing, refer to Trial Rule 86(N)."

We will note based on customer reports this may be affecting fee collection on the clerk's side for filings that were done in past days as well. 

As a result of this message we felt it was important to once again communicate our guidance for handling time-sensitive filings during an e-file "outage" under Trial Rule 86(N).

If you missed a deadline due to this issue, take a look at Trial Rule 86(N)(1), which essentially provides for a one-day extension when a lengthy e-filing system outage prevents filers from meeting a deadline.

We expect that the Trial Courts will all be aware of the scope and timing of this statewide outage via direct communication from Trial Court Technology. However, if the court you are working with requires a statement from Doxpop to attach as an exhibit to the motion described in TR 86(N)(1)(d), please let us know and we'll be happy to supply documentation in support of your motion. (Simply attaching a screen print of this blog post may be sufficient.)

On the appellate side, take a look at Rule 68(M)(1)(d), which appears to be nearly identical to the Trial Court rule on this topic.

A reminder that Doxpop offices will be closed Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day.

We understand that sometimes you have to deal with an emergency situation during a holiday so here's how to get help over the holiday:

We will not be monitoring phone lines, so you must use email. One of our managers will be checking email periodically throughout the day. If you have a real emergency, please send an email to support@doxpop.com that contains a brief description of the problem and phone number we can call to reach you.

Please be respectful when using this option. It's for real emergencies that can't wait until Tuesday morning.

Appellate court e-filing becomes mandatory on September 1st.

On September 1, a change to the appellate rules will require that appeals be initiated via e-filing. We’ve posted several times, each focusing on one aspect of appellate filings. This post is intended to consolidate our previous advice into one resource.

The Basics:
Filing a Notice of Appeal is simple and not all that different from filing in the trial courts. The main differences are how you prepare your document, how fees are assessed and having the ability to attach any number of service contacts on your initial filing to comply with the multiple service requirements in rule 24(A)(1).

Preparing your Notice of Appeal:
When you are assembling a Notice of Appeal or Motion for Interlocutory Appeal, there are several documents that should be combined into a single PDF file to initiate the appeal. They are:

1. The Notice of Appeal or Motion for Interlocutory Appeal.
2. A copy of the judgment or order being appealed.
3. If you are a public defender, your proof of appointment.
4. If this is an interlocutory appeal, a copy of the order accepting jurisdiction.
5. Any other required documents.

Number 5 sounds a bit open-ended, but the underlying concept here is simply that every document that you would be required to file when initiating the appeal conventionally should be combined into a single PDF file when e-filing. This will then be filed as a single lead document. This differs significantly from the process for trial courts, where each document must be a separate PDF file.

From a practical standpoint, this means that if you don't already have software for editing PDF files, it's time to purchase something so you can assemble documents from multiple sources into a single PDF file. We've been working with attorneys who are assembling PDF files for a couple of years now, and here are the PDF editors we've heard good things about:

• Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Foxit PDF
• Nitro PDF
• Nuance Power PDF (Standard or Pro)

How fees are shown when you start your filing:
Fees are assigned based on the type of document you are filing instead of the case type. So the fee next to the case type will always show $0 but when you select your filing type when adding the document you will now see the fee associated with the Notice of Appeal filing type. This document-based approach to fee calculation applies to the Court of Appeals, Supreme Court and Tax Court case types. For the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court the fee for a Notice of Appeal is currently $250. For the Tax Court, the fee for filing an Original Tax Appeal is $120.

Guidance on how to handle electronic service when filing an appeal:
When you use the Doxpop system for initiating trial court cases, we limit you to attaching one service contact during that process. However, when initiating an appellate case, you may attach any number of service contacts in order to comply with the appellate rules.

The list of the people/organizations you must serve when initiating an appeal has not changed, and can be found in the Appellate Rule 24. What has changed with e-filing is that you can now serve some of these people or organizations electronically by attaching them to the case when you file the notice of appeal.

When filing a Notice of Appeal, here are some of the people or organizations you may need to serve, and methods of attaching them when it is possible:

• For represented parties, you will be able to find their counsel using the public service directory and attach them for e-service.
• You will need to be sure that if required, the parties themselves are notified conventionally, as they will not have public service contacts.
• The Judge, Clerk and Court Reporter on the original trial court case do not have public service contacts, so these three people will need to be served conventionally. (This also holds true for judges and hearing officers in connection with cases coming from administrative courts.)
• If the case is criminal, you will always be able to serve the prosecuting attorney via e-service, using the public service contact for the attorney that most recently entered an appearance on behalf of the State. (This may not always be the current prosecuting attorney.)
• If the case is criminal, you will also be required to serve the Attorney General. To accomplish this, you can attach the public service contact of the currently serving Attorney General. eg: Curtis Hill.
• For expedited appeals involving children, you have a longer list found in Appellate Rule 14.1. You may find that some of those can be notified via e-service. For instance, county commissioners may have currently retained counsel that will appear on the public service contact list. Some attorneys also serve as a CASA or guardian ad litem and thus may have public service contacts. However, most of the service in this type of appeal will have to be done conventionally.

When you put together your certificate of service, for anyone whose service contact was attached at the time of filing the notice of appeal, note that they were served via "IEFS" with the date of filing.

On rare occasions, an email problem may prevent e-service from occurring, so remember to keep an eye out for any service failure notices, which will arrive via email.

Here's a look at what this section of the filing screen for a Notice of Appeal looks like:

The actual order:

On July 26, an order amending the rules for appellate procedure effective September 1, 2018 was filed.

You can view the order here: https://www.in.gov/judiciary/files/order-rules-2018-0726-appellate.pdf.

The quick summary is that previously, the words "conventionally", and in two places "electronically" were used to specify the method of filing the documents initiating an appeal. Those modifiers have now been removed so this section no longer specifies any exception from the general rules for filing.

Rule 68(C)(1) says "Unless otherwise permitted by these rules, all documents submitted for filing in the Indiana Supreme Court or Court of Appeals by an attorney must be filed electronically using the IEFS." (Bolding added by this blogger.)

Have Questions?

Give us a call at 866-369-7671, we are happy to help!

Attorney Bar ID searching is here!

We are happy to announce the release of attorney bar ID searching in court cases allowing users to find all cases that an attorney is listed on just by using the Bar ID. 

This is now available on the court case advanced search page.

Here is what to know about this feature:

• Only available when the party role "attorney" is selected.
• Entering a name and bar ID will return results that either match the name or have the Bar ID listed or both. Providing you leave the "Include attorneys with no bar id." checkbox selected.
• When using only a bar ID, uncheck the "Include attorneys with no bar id." checkbox. 
• If the attorney you are searching has many cases you may need to narrow criteria either by search region, date period or any other option to avoid reaching our search result limit of 1,000. 

If you have any questions about this or any features on Doxpop please give us a call at 866-369-7671!