« Courts - "We are seeing the [Wis. Supreme] court fall apart before our eyes," said Charles Geyh, a professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law | Main | Law - "The NCAA And The So-Called 'Student-Athlete'" »

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Courts - Bad news for public access to court documents

Politico's Josh Gerstein reports today:

The basic fee federal courts charge for electronic copies of court records will be hiked by 25%, a panel overseeing federal court administration announced Tuesday.

The cost of electronic access to court files through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records program, better known as PACER, will rise to 10 cents per page from the current 8 cents per page, the Judicial Conference said.

D.C. Circuit Appeals Court Judge David Sentelle announced the move to reporters on Tuesday. In a press release, the courts said the price hike was a "response to inflationary pressures." Some other fees will also rise, but most filing fees will remain the same.

To cushion the blow, governmental entities will be exempt from the electronic access fees for three years and the courts' will refrain from billing those who run up less than $15 in a given quarter. Currently, a user can get $10-worth of access per quarter without paying.

This money adds up, just ask the ILB.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 14, 2011 11:18 AM
Posted to Courts in general