The purpose of this glossary is to facilitate a unified understanding of the terminology used to describe the components of an electronic court system (within and outside of the Fifteenth Circuit)
E-Filing:
The act of electronically uploading court documents to the Statewide E-filing portal, for the purpose of filing electronic documents with aClerk's Office.
E-Service(Attorney to Attorney):
The electronic mailing of documents between attorneys.Per RJA 2.516, attorneys who first register their email address with the Clerk of Court can effect service via email. Attorneys may also register two unique secondary addresses per case.Parties are not automatically notified of email addresses filed with the Clerk.The Judge and Clerk of Court arenot notified of any electronic mailed communications.
E-Service Judge to Case Party:
The electronic mailing of notices and orders from a judge to an attorney or caseparty usingemail addresses previously registered with the Court’s e-service website. E-service from a judge is currently authorized by Administrative Order 2.310-4/13.Please note: the Clerk of Court is not notifiedwhen an attorney registers with the Court’s e-service system.
E-signature
Electronically affixing a symbol representing a signature. The signature can be an image of a signature, a digitally written signature from a signature pad, or a “/s”. E-signature is different than a digital signature. Unlike an e-signature, a digital signature or cryptographic signature, does not resemble a written signature at all. Instead, it is a method that takes an original document and runs it through a simple algorithm, using a cryptographic key (which is private to the user), generating a signature that is unique to the document.
Fileless:
The reliance on an electronic court file, comprised of digital images of courtdocuments, instead of a paper file, whether in chambers or in court. Electronic court files in the Fifteenth Circuit are available forCircuit Civil documents filed with the court after 2007 and after 2008 for all other court documents.Documents filed before these dates have not been scanned by the Clerk of Court and will continue to be provided in paper form or scanned on demand. Florida Courts Technology Commission ("FCTC")
Established by AOSC07-59, this standing commission is comprised of Judges, Trial Court Administrators, Attorneys, Clerks, and Court Technology Officers. The FCTCreviewscourt policy recommendations related to the use of technology in support of the administration of justice in the Trial and Appellate Courts.
Hybrid File:
Official court record comprised of both electronic and paper documents. A hybrid file typically exists for opened and reopened cases filed before January of 2008, the year that the Clerk in the Fifteenth Circuitbegan scanning courtdocuments.
In-Court Processing (ICP):
The act of committing information to the appropriate case management systemsandcalendars, in real-time, instead of writing the information down and entering itelectronically, later, outside of the courtroom. Courtrooms utilizing ICP typically have more courtroom clerks to handle the additional work which is shifted from outside of the courtroom to in the courtroom. ICP eliminates duplication of effort and saves money. In the Fifteenth Circuit, currently Civil Traffic Infraction hearings utilize ICP, with future plans to add criminal courts.
Judicial Viewer
The name given to the software system used by the judiciary and support staff to view case information, aggregated from multiple sources, into one system. Judicial viewer software pulls data primarily from clerk and sheriff case management systems while allowing users to annotate files with notes, etc., that are not considered part of the official record. Judicial viewers are certified by the FCTC. The judicial viewer for the Fifteenth Circuit is called the "Integrated Case Management System" (ICMS).Judicial viewers being used in other circuits include ICMS, JAWS, Mentis, and Pioneer.
Paper on demand (aka Paperless):
For fileless divisions, paper on demand refers to the ability to generate a paper copy of an electronic document, as needed. Judges in the Fifteenth Circuit will be provided printers on the bench for paper on demand needs.
Portal
The portal is the mechanism for the filing of electronic court documents. Attorneys must register prior to filing electronic court documents. The web address for the portal: www.myflcourtaccess.com
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