Public documents accessed remotely on Case.net by public users now display a watermark. 

Since the system’s Oct. 19, 2023, monthly deployment, publicly viewable documents accessed remotely via Case.net by public users include a watermark which reads: "Not an Official Court Document." If printed, the watermark will display on the printed document. 

The Office of State Courts Administrator notes the watermark feature only applies to public documents accessed via Case.net’s remote access features. If a member of the public visits a courthouse and logs in to a public access terminal, no watermark is displayed. Additionally, no watermark is displayed for court staff or users who are licensed lawyers when logged in to Case.net. 

Above is an example of the watermark as it appears on public court documents. 

Contact the OSCA help desk with any questions, or requests for technical assistance with e-Filing and Case.net, at 888-541-4894 or OSCA.Help.Desk@courts.mo.gov. 

Visit The Missouri Bar’s Remote Public Access Resource and Redaction Center for additional articles and continuing legal education videos about protecting your client’s confidential information considering expanded remote public access. You can also find information and how-to videos regarding redaction best practices and various redaction software. 
 

Some courts differ in local court rules as to when the CRIFSs (Confidential Redacted Information Filing Sheets) must be filed. The CRIFS is a statewide form provided for capturing the redacted confidential information within a public court document. In the scenario of differing local court rules, OSCA recommends CRIFS be filed as the document and the unredacted document be filed as an attachment. 

All other steps in your eFiling process needed to comply with Court Operating Rule 2 remain the same as outlined in the May 18, 2023, article “What you need to know about e-filing following expanded remote public access.” 

Visit The Missouri Bar’s Remote Public Access Resource and Redcation Center for a step-by-step video featuring the renamed document type, as well as articles and continuing legal education videos about protecting your client's confidential information in light of expanded remote public access. You can also find information and how-to videos regarding redaction best practices and various redaction software.

When confidential information must be included, those filing will have to attest that the publicly available document has been properly redacted. 

With only three months before Missouri lawyers need to attest they are properly redacting confidential information when e-filing, MoBarCLE is offering a no-cost, online webinar to help bring Missouri lawyers up to date. 

Starting April 24, the 2023 Expanded remote public access to court records and redaction requirements CLE program will provide an overview of the upcoming rule changes and the interplay with the e-filing system. The speakers will outline various considerations of redaction requirements and give some examples of content which should be redacted. Additionally, this presentation identifies many of the questions those in the legal profession will need to address as filings become increasingly accessible.  

Speakers include:  

• Hon. Jeffrey W. Bates, Missouri Court of Appeals, Springfield 
• Catherine Nelson Zacharias, Office of State Courts Administrator, Jefferson City 
• Melinda J. Bentley, Legal Ethics Counsel, Jefferson City 
• David W. Ransin, Ransin Injury Law, Springfield 

The online program will be offered April 24, May 22, June 26, and July 17. Attendees will receive 1.5 hours of live MCLE credit which also satisfies 1.5 MCLE hours of the ethics. Additionally, this program will be available on demand for self-study. 

Serving as an introduction, this CLE is a great place to start for all lawyers learning about how the new rules affect practice. Further educational content will be made available through The Missouri Bar in the coming months. For more information on expanded remote public access and redaction requirements, visit The Missouri Bar’s Remote Public Access and Redaction Resource Center.