Doubts about US'

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bipenett

New Member
Hello everybody!

I don´t even know if my doubts may fit in the theme "Civil Court, Procedure n Litigation", but anyways, I have a serious questions for you guys.

I´m currently studying about the case "FBI x APPLE" (that one related to the San Bernardino´s shooters) and I am really not understanding the processual logics envolving the case, since I am not from USA. I´m acctualy a lawyer from Brazil, a country where the processual logics is very clean and simple (at least for me. hehehe).

Well.. I´ve got access to an offical document identified as "ed 15-0451m". It seems to be the complaint made by FBI to the Court, but I´m not sure.

I´ve also got access to another document identified as "Case 5:16-cm-00010-SP", which I´m not sure what it means.

So could anybody please help to understand why there is 2 types of documents and also what are all these numbers and letters (such as "ed", "15-0451m", 5:16-cm", "000010", "SP").. I´m completely lost and I would appreciate so much if someone could help abou this!

Besides that.. Is there any offical website where I could find ALL the documents realted to an specific case such as this one? In Brazil, it is just simples as accessing the Court's website, typing the number of the case and then you get imediate access to ALL the documents and manifestations of the parties at the same file (.pdf), organized by date. Is there any tool like that in US?

Thank your for your attention!

Regards.
 
In the US I believe that federal court file documents (pleading and filings) can be accessed through PACER.

Public Access to Court Electronic Records

Civil and bankruptcy anyway. I'm not sure that criminal files can be accessed while the case is ongoing.

I don't know of any state or local civil or criminal courts that do that, which is not to say that there aren't, but you can generally view the docket on a court's website and then visit the court for access to all the paperwork in the case file, except for, again, criminal files when the case is ongoing.

As for the documents you cite you will have to provide links to those documents so we can read them. Otherwise, there is no way to answer your question..
 
All active and inactive cases (bankruptcy, civil, and criminal) can be accessed via PACER.

Public Access to Court Electronic Records

You create an account, you search away.
At some point you'll begin incurring costs, so be sure you pay attention, if cost is an issue.
Occasionally something about the case might be sealed,meaning its only available to parties to the case, or a few other select subscribers.
 
bipenett said:
Wow! I´ve seen that PACER is not a free service! Is that right?!!?!
Click to expand...

That's right. From PACER's website

Access to case information costs $0.10 per page. The cost to access a single document is capped at $3.00, the equivalent of 30 pages. The cap does not apply to name searches, reports that are not case-specific, and transcripts of federal court proceedings.

By Judicial Conference policy, if your usage does not exceed $15 in a quarter, fees are waived.
 

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