Order dated October 1, 2019, re: Court Operating Rule 4.04 File Numbers

Supreme Court of Missouri
en banc

October 1, 2019
Effective January 1, 2020

In re:

Repeal of subdivision 4.04.1, entitled "Courts Using an Automated Case Management System Approved for Statewide Use by the State Judicial Records Committee," of subdivision 4.04, entitled "File Numbers," of Court Operating Rule 4, entitled "Uniform Record Keeping System," and in lieu thereof adoption of a new subdivision 4.04.1, entitled "Courts Using an Automated Case Management System Approved for Statewide Use by the State Judicial Records Committee," of subdivision 4.04, entitled "File Numbers."

ORDER

1. It is ordered that effective January 1, 2020, subdivision 4.04.1 of subdivision 4.04 of Court Operating Rule 4 be and the same is hereby repealed and a new subdivision 4.04.1 of subdivision 4.04 adopted in lieu thereof to read as follows:

COURT OPERATING RULE 4.04 FILE NUMBERS

* * *

4.04.1 Courts Using an Automated Case Management System Approved for Statewide Use by the State Judicial Records Committee

1) Converted Construct

Numbers assigned prior to implementation of the automated case management system and entered into the automated system shall be converted in substantially the following format:

a) 2-digit circuit number;

b) Alphabetic code reflecting the case category:

Case Category	Code
Criminal	R
Traffic	T
Civil	V
Juvenile	J
Probate	P
Mental Health	H
Municipal Traffic	M
Municipal Ordinance	O
Municipal Criminal	U
Administrative Orders	AO
Transcript Judgments	TJ
Mechanics'/Materialmen's Liens	ML

c) 2-digit physical filing location number as assigned by the Office of State Courts Administrator;

d) 2-digit numeric code representing the year that the case was filed, e.g., "02" for cases filed in 2002; and

e) Same consecutive number assigned to the case when filed.

2) Interim Construct

a) Numbers assigned after implementation of the automated case management system and before January 1, 2004, shall be in the following format for all except cases initiated by uniform citation:

(1) 2-digit numeric code representing the year that the case was filed, e.g. "02" for cases filed in 2002;

(2) 2-digit alphabetic code for the case type:

Case Category	Code
Criminal	CR
Traffic	TR
Civil	CV
Juvenile	JU
Probate	PR
Mental Health	MH
Family Court	FC
Municipal	MU
Miscellaneous	MC

(3) 6-digit sequential number assigned by the system.

b) The uniform citation number, as assigned by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, shall serve as the file number for less serious traffic cases and for civil infraction, watercraft and conservation cases initiated by uniform citation.

3) New Construct

a) Numbers assigned after implementation of the automated case management system shall be in the following format for all except cases initiated by uniform citation:

(1) 2-digit year (numeric)

(2) 2-digit location code (alpha, alpha-numeric, or numeric) – circuit number can be used in a single county, consolidated court

(3) Hyphen

(4) 2-digit case category (alpha)

(5) 5-digit sequential number, starting with "00001" for the first case filed within case category and location (numbering starts over at the beginning of each year)

(6) Hyphen

(7) 2-digit sub-case code

b) The following comprise the minimum list of 2 digit case categories used in the circuit:

Case Category	Code
Criminal	CR
Traffic	TR
Infraction	IN
Civil	CV
Juvenile	JU
Probate	PR
Municipal Ordinance	MU
County Ordinance	CY
Miscellaneous	MC
Juvenile Referral	JR
Treatment Court	TC

c) The court en banc may choose to use optional additional case categories for case number assignment. The following comprise the optional case categories that may be used in the case number. The court en banc may choose any of the following options to further define the case number:

Instead of CV, use:

Circuit Civil	CC
Associate Civil	AC
Provide a separate case category for Small Claims	SC
Provide a separate case category for Domestic Relations	DR
Provide a separate case category for Protection Orders	PN
Provide a separate case category for Family Court cases	FC
Provide a separate case category for Administrative Orders for Child Support	AD
Provide a separate case category for Mechanic's Liens	ML
Provide a separate case category for Transcript Judgments	TJ
Provide a separate case category for Mental Health	MH

d) The case numbering system will be consistent for all divisions within the circuit. The list of case categories for the case number will be selected by the court en banc when the circuit implements JIS and may be changed effective January 1st of any subsequent year. For courts on JIS on the effective date of this COR 4, the court en banc will decide if the new case number format is initiated January 1, 2004 or January 1, 2005.

4) The uniform citation number, as assigned by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, shall serve as the file number for less serious traffic cases and for civil infraction, watercraft and conservation cases initiated by uniform citation.

* * *

2. It is ordered that notice of this order be published in the Journal of The Missouri Bar.

3. It is ordered that this order be published in the South Western Reporter.

4. The state courts administrator shall provide copies of this order to every presiding circuit court judge and circuit clerk and such other persons as the administrator deems appropriate.

Day – to – Day

________________________________
GEORGE W. DRAPER III
Chief Justice