The initiative provides Nebraskans with free access to two systems, the Judicial Users System to Improve Court Efficiency, JUSTICE, which manages statewide trial court cases, and the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Legal Entry System, SCCALES.
Remote online access to the databases usually requires a $100 annual subscription or a $17 fee per individual search. Library terminals allow residents to search for records at no cost.
The initiative stems from the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Stephanie Stacy said in a statement.
“As co-chair of the Access to Justice Commission, we have been pleased with the early success of this pilot,” she said. “Partnering with public libraries has not only expanded public access to court information, it has allowed court users to find the legal information and resources they need without traveling to the courthouse.”
The program that originally launched a year ago was piloted at the University of Nebraska College of Law, Creighton University School of Law and Bennett Martin Public Library in downtown Lincoln, before expanding to all city branches this spring.
Ryan Wieber, director of Lincoln City Libraries, said the Bennett Martin location alone has logged hundreds of database searches. Wieber believes that the program fits naturally into the public library’s mission of providing open information, while offering an alternative to traditional courthouse kiosks.
Visitors do not need a library card to utilize the service; staff log patrons into the system.
“The reason behind pushing to public libraries in general is there are so many barriers associated with the courthouse. Not just the lack of printers, lack of staff, lack of internet access, lack of parking space, intimidation,” said Maureen Eck, Nebraska deputy state librarian. “But I think the biggest one is simply the hours. Just simple access. People are working when the courthouse is open, and they may not even have a job that allows them to make a phone call to the clerk, let alone take time off, drive to the court and access their case.”
Eck noted that before the pilot program, courthouse kiosks and the Nebraska state law library were the only locations to access the records for free. Courthouse kiosks are locked down to the state network due to security protocols.
At a public library, users can access other tools simultaneously, allowing self-represented litigants to access internet research, use word processing software to draft motions and save downloadable PDF case documents to a personal flash drive or email.
New cases typically have a 24-hour delay before appearing in the databases. Once a case is loaded into the system, all later document updates, filings and file-stamps occur in real time.
JUSTICE and SCCALES can be used for legal and historical research, genealogy, academic projects or landlord-tenant checks. However, Eck said most users are citizens looking up their own active files.
“Almost everybody who uses this knows exactly what case number they’re looking for. It’s typically their own case,” Eck said.
Eck emphasized that public libraries play a vital role in bridging gaps in the community.
“Increasing access to justice for all Nebraskans is at the foundation of the Nebraska Judicial Branch’s mission,” Eck said. “Public libraries play a key role in that mission, helping connect people with legal information and making court resources more accessible to everyone.”
The pilot program is scheduled to conclude at the end of June. The Nebraska Supreme Court will review kiosk use statistics and patron surveys to decide if the program should become a permanent, statewide system for any participating community library.
