Just Released – Expanded Search Option Now Available in Virginia
The Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia recently released a new Online Case Information System (OCIS 2.0). The site allows users to perform *statewide searches for Criminal and Traffic case information found in both the Circuit & General District courts. *Note, there are two courts whose records are not provided on this system - Alexandria Circuit Court and Fairfax Circuit Court. The site is displayed as being statewide on the court’s website; however, due to the exception of these courts the site doesn’t completely qualify as being statewide. Access to the records from the two courts of exception (Alexandria Circuit & Fairfax Circuit) is provided on an individual basis through a web platform that these courts offer on an individual basis.
The possibility of this type of case management system was first mentioned in 2018 with the passing of House Bill No. 780. Now, just over a year later, it has been released to the public. OCIS 2.0 is found at https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/landing/false. Searches can be conducted by name or case number. The contents of the cases found on this system will match what’s found when searching the legacy case management system, OCIS. Depending on the user’s needs, the new system OCIS 2.0 will save a great deal of time when performing research.
As with any new remotely accessible court data system, conducting due diligence to determine usability is highly recommended.
Pennsylvania Clean Slate Act
With the passing of HB 1419 in 2018, Pennsylvania amended its legislation that determined how citizens could have a record sealed. HB 1419, commonly referred to as the Clean Slate Act allowed for the implementation of an automated system that reviews criminal cases of public record and determines their eligibility for sealing. In prior years, defendants who petitioned the court could have their low level, non-violent misdemeanors sealed. However, this newest revision to the legislation allows for automatic sealing of records without any action by the defendant.
On June 28, 2019, the automated system became operational. It is estimated that between now and June 2020, nearly 30 million records could be sealed. Here are the qualifying categories that each case must fall within to be considered:
Non-Conviction Records
- Charges Dropped
- Found Not Guilty
Non-Violent Conviction Records
- Summary Offenses
- Minor Misdemeanors
Cases will not be considered for seal unless the defendant has been crime-free for 10 years. Additionally, all fines and costs must be paid in full. Once sealed, the records will no longer appear on public records, but they can still be seen by law enforcement and the courts. A good resource to learn more about the Pennsylvania Clean Slate Act is found at https://mycleanslatepa.com/.
Pilot Program Launched in South Dakota
South Dakota is currently piloting a new case management system called eCourts. Once released to the public, this system will allow access to court case information and certain document images from any computer, after an account is established. Users will be able to view and download pages for $.10 per page. For this reason, the system is noted as being similar to PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), the system provided by the Federal Judiciary to access federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy records.
The benefits of this new system beyond accessibility is users can search by name, date of birth, county, and the offense date range. The public access computers currently available in the courthouses only allow searching by case number. Requestors wanting to obtain a complete criminal history must submit a request to the clerk and pay $20.00 per name.
At this time, it is unclear what types of case details and documents will be provided to the public once eCourts is officially released in late 2019/early 2020.
To learn more about eCourts visit https://ecourts.sd.gov/Account/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f and view the Help tab at the bottom of the page. An informative article about this pilot program can be found at https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/south-dakotans-will-soon-be-able-to-access-court-records/article_7be2d9fc-ccc9-503b-ad86-5a4094a452c2.html