Court Docket Search

A US court docket is a legal document that contains details about a case proceeding litigated in a United States Federal Court, whether the case is ongoing or closed. The docket is a valuable instrument for attorneys, judicial officers, or any member of the public who wants to get basic case information on an ongoing or finalized litigation or judicial proceeding

Court docket searches are helpful for obtaining information on the court filings related to a case, such as opinions, pleadings, motions, or briefs. They also give inquirers access to information on case parties, including the subject(s) names, the dates of appearances before the court, and a summary of the claims or charges.

Pursuant to the US public records law, the Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining all US court records and documents and providing the public with access to these documents. Individuals who intend to access court dockets may do so through the appropriate court clerk.

What is a Court Docket?

A court docket is a chronological log of all documents filed, motions, rulings, hearings, and other actions taken in a particular case. It is an official summary, schedule, or record of the proceedings and events in a specific court case. In the US, a court docket features information about the parties involved, their attorneys, the presiding judge, and any upcoming court dates or deadlines.

What is the Purpose of a Court Docket?

The purpose of a court docket is to provide a structured and organized record of legal proceedings. They are used for:

Case Management: Dockets are a collection of all procedural actions relevant to a case, enabling efficient case management to ensure that all parties can stay in the loop about a case status.
Transparency and Public Access: In many US jurisdictions, court dockets are public record information, and members of the public may access information about legal proceedings and monitor the judicial process. This promotes transparency and helps maintain public trust in the judicial system.
Legal Research and Precedent: Court dockets provide valuable insights into how similar cases were handled and highlight persuasive legal arguments.

Some courts in the United States also use their dockets as an in-court timetable. It is used to schedule the time of arrival and the time of court appearances by the case attorney and case parties.

Are Court Dockets Public Records?

Yes. The right of the public to access court dockets is established in the United States Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). The Act gives the public the right to request records or information maintained by federal agencies, except for documents deemed private and exempted from public disclosure. Some records that have been exempted from public disclosure include:

Juvenile records
Records containing information on the case jury
Records on plea agreements that indicate victim cooperation or statement
Records of investigation made before sentencing
Pretrial bail records
Any warrants (search warrants, arrest warrants, or bench warrants)

What Do Court Dockets Contain?

The information contained in the United States court dockets may depend on the custodian and court where the case was heard. For instance, dockets of cases litigated in the United States Supreme Court are divided into three segments, and they contain the following information:

The case information
The case proceedings and order and their respective dates
The case attorneys details

The case information includes details like the case docket number, the case title (this is a statement showing the names/titles of the defendant and the plaintiff), the date the case was docketed, the court where the case was litigated, the case number, the timeline for the case hearing process (the start and end dates of the trial process).

The proceedings and orders summarize the motions passed during the case proceedings, the tendered petitions, and a list of documents submitted when every motion is passed (this typically includes the main document, certificate of word count, proof of service, petition, and appendix).

The court docket also contains information on all the attorneys present during the case hearing. These are:

Names of the defendant attorney(s), office address, email address, and phone number(s)
Names of the plaintiff attorney(s), office address, email address, and phone number(s)

Where to Find a Court Docket

The court dockets of cases heard in the United States may either be kept in paper or electronic format, and the format being sought by individuals may determine where they can be found.

The court clerk is responsible for keeping and maintaining dockets, in whichever format they may be, and has therefore provided means for their search.

When seeking court dockets, the court clerk's office in the courthouse where the case was heard should be the first point of search by inquirers. This is because the authentic copy (usually in paper format) is always kept in the office of the court clerk, who oversees the disclosure of the document to the public.

Alternatively, an individual can access a copy of the docket online using any of the online tools offered by the court clerk.

How to Conduct a Court Docket Search

Requesters can conduct a United States court docket search at the clerk's office where the litigation occurred. For instance, inquirers must duly download and complete a copy of the Records Request Form to conduct a docket search of a case at the United States Court Of Appeals. This form will then be taken to the clerk's office, where the search will be conducted.

The Appeal Court clerk also provides the Smartscan service through the Federal Records Centers, through which the Federal Records Centers can locate the records (dockets), convert them to a PDF format, and transmit them to the clerk's office via mail. However, this search is limited to 100 pages and should only be used if the requester knows the exact record they are searching for.

Alternatively, the United States judicial system has a unified online search tool to search for cases online using their court dockets. The case search can be conducted by a specific court or by a national index. The Public Access to Court Electronic Records system allows requesters to search for cases by their dockets online by providing the case number and the date they were filed. Individuals who intend to conduct the search using this online tool must register before proceeding with the search.

Regardless of the means of search an individual decides to use, it is advised that the individual has some details about the case in order to conduct the docket search. The requester may be required to provide the party name(s), the date the case was filed, the attorney name(s), or the case number. They may also be required to provide a combination of the above. Regardless, the more information the requester has on the case, the more effective and efficient the court docket search will be.

If the requester is not looking to conduct an in-depth search where the validity of the information garnered is of optimal importance, they could also search using one of the available third-party websites that specialize in curating information on court dockets and providing the public with access to them at a fee.

What is a Court Docket Number?

A court docket number is an identification number assigned to the docket by the court clerk and used for tracking cases and their progress. Courts in the United States have peculiar ways of assigning numbers to their court dockets. The docket number may be a combination of numbers and letters or simply a series of numbers, usually separated by a hyphen (-).

Cases prosecuted in the United States District Courts usually have their docket numbers coined after the following format:

A two-digit number signifies the year. For example, 02 indicates that the case took place in 2002
The year is followed by the case type; could be Civ. for Civil cases and Cr. for criminal cases
Then a four or five-digit number
Lastly, the judge's initials enclosed in parentheses

Therefore, a District Court docket with docket number - 07 Cr. 1234 (CM) means that the case is the 1234th criminal case filed in the year 2007 and was presided upon by Honorable Colleen McMahon.

Others, like the Supreme Court, have their court docket number shorter and more precise. Docket numbers of cases heard in the Supreme Court typically follow the format "Term year-number". For example, a docket with numbers 21-576 means the case is the 576th case heard in 2021.

How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup

The clerk of the court is saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the court dockets, including the docket numbers. Docket numbers in the United States can be looked up by contacting the courthouse clerk where the case occurred, either by visiting the office in person or connecting with the administrative office via email or phone number.

Individuals can also use online search tools for a court docket number lookup. By conducting a case search using the name of the party or the date the case was filed, users will find the court docket number included in the information that the system will generate. Queries and questions regarding the docket search system requirements may be directed to the custodian's office. Note that public access to selected information may be restricted and will require users to provide additional eligibility documents.