Eleven “Pilot” Courts Selected for Remote Public Access to Criminal Case Files Justice Byron R. White Remembered 2002-2003 Judicial Fellows Named Successful Telephone Interpreting Program To Expand to All District Courts Law Clerks Get Help on Ethical Issues Judicial Milestones Judicial Boxscore An Interview with White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales

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Eleven “Pilot” Courts Selected for Remote Public Access to Criminal Case Files

   Eleven federal courts are allowing Internet access to criminal case files as part of a pilot program adopted by the Judicial Conference.

The Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management, which is studying privacy and public access to electronic files in criminal cases, selected 10 trial courts and one appellate court to participate. Access already is available, or will be very soon.

The majority of those courts allowed remote public electronic access to criminal case files before a Judicial Conference policy ended it last year because of potential safety and law enforcement issues. The new access is available over the federal courts’ PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system for seven cents per page, as is access to civil and bankruptcy case records. Information about PACER and a list of participating courts can be found at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/links.pl.

The Conference in September 2001 voted to make most civil and bankruptcy case documents available over PACER to the same extent they are available at the courthouse. The Conference, however, prohibited Internet access to criminal case documents, with the understanding that the policy would be re-examined within the next two years.

At its March 2002 meeting, the Conference approved the pilot program and a plan to have the Federal Judicial Center track the participating courts during the course of the study and provide information to aid the review of the policy. The Conference is expected to consider the matter at its September 2003 meeting.

Remote Public Access to Criminal Cases The Following federal courts were selected to participate in a pilot program allowing public access to criminal case files: Court of Appeals: Eight Circuit District Courts: Southern District of California District of Columbia Southern District of Florida Southern District of Georgia District of Idaho Northern District of Illinois District of Massachusetts Northern District of Oklahoma District of Utah Southern District of West Virginia

Ground-breaking Ceremony at E.Barrett Prettyman Courthouse

The ground-breaking ceremony last month for the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse Annex in Washington, D.C., drew a distinguished group of speakers. From left to right, they were Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Vice President Richard Cheney (at the podium), Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg (D.C. Cir.), Chief Judge Thomas F. Hogan (D.D.C.), and General Services Administrator Stephen A. Perry. Also attending were judges of the district and circuit courts, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC,) and invited guests. In his remarks, Vice President Cheney also thanked Judge Harry Edwards "for his diligent efforts as chief judge in getting this building annex underway." Cheney added, "In the years and decades to come, all who work here will follow in the finest of traditions. I am certain that the best legal talent America can produce will be collected here for as long as these buildings stand.