E-filing stakeholders meeting set for Monday, April 7; MiCOG renews push for free, remote public access

The State Court Administrator’s Office is holding a Stakeholders Meeting on E-Filing in Michigan Courts on Monday, April 7 at the Hall of Justice. MiCOG participated in an earlier meeting last year and raised concerns about the lack of any mention of remote public access to e-filed documents or the cost to the public. Currently, members of the public can physically go to the local court clerk’s office and request to see, without charge, all legal filings and pleadings, unless a case is sealed by court order. The operational costs of court operations are paid for with litigants fees and public tax dollars. MiCOG supports continuing this practice on any adopted e-filing system allowing the public remote access to court files without charge. Though we were not invited to this meeting, we have sent the new State Court Administrator, John Hohman Jr, a letter outlining our concerns for public access.