28 March 2012

ST. LOUIS -- Effective April 2, 2012, attorneys are required to file electronically on all new and pending appeals in the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, as Chief Judge Kurt S. Odenwald has signed an order stating that the court will utilize the Missouri eFiling System.  The Eastern District court, a pilot appellate site, is the first district of the intermediate appellate court to adopt electronic filing in Missouri. The new Missouri eFiling System will allow registered users to file case documents electronically with the court as well as to view those documents at nearly any time – day, night or weekend.  

“Our court staff has worked diligently to make the transition to e-filing a smooth process for attorneys and litigants," Odenwald said. "Countless hours have been spent on training for our entire court, including judges. The new system will greatly benefit all parties to the appeal process by reducing both the costs and time needed to litigate appeals in our court.

"While I am very excited about the beginning of e-filing, I remain concerned that some attorneys still have not registered for e-filing and do not realize that, as of April 2, 2012, no attorney will be able to participate in the appellate process, either as an appellant or respondent, if they have not registered for e-filing," Odenwald said. "Outside of a few exceptions for confidential sealed cases and pro-se litigants, the court’s clerk will not accept any paper filing and will not be able to send court notices to attorneys unless they are registered for e-filing.”

To begin filing electronically, an attorney must register for a free account. Attorneys may register by going to www.courts.mo.gov and clicking on the "Electronic Filing" link in the "Quick Links" box. Attorneys will need their Missouri bar and PIN number, located on the lower right-hand corner of their bar cards, to register. Attorneys filing in juvenile or sealed cases, however, cannot file through the Missouri eFiling System at the present time and should contact the clerk’s office at (314) 539-4300 for further instructions.  

The court has adopted several local rules, in addition to the statewide rules governing electronic filing. Those rules are now available on the court’s website at https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=161. The court started alerting attorneys to the April start of electronic filing in January 2012. More than 250 attorneys and their legal staff attended electronic training sessions conducted by the court and the state courts administrator's office (OSCA). Instructions regarding how to file petitions for writs, briefs and records also will be available on the website at https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=48973. Attorneys with questions regarding compliance with the local rules should contact the clerk’s office, but all questions regarding the system requirements, browser settings and technical issues with the eFiling system should be directed to the OSCA Help Desk at (888) 541-4894.

The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, is the state’s largest appellate court district, with offices in the historic Old Post Office in downtown St. Louis. There are 14 judges on the court, which hears approximately 50 percent of the intermediate appellate caseload in Missouri. The court’s jurisdiction covers 25 counties and the city of St. Louis.  
 

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk
Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District
(314) 539-4300