PUBLIC ACCESS

TO COURT
ELECTRONIC RECORDS

USER MANUAL
Updated:October 2000
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pacermanual.pdf
[This page was intentionally left blank.]
 PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURT ELECTRONIC RECORDS
--
WEB-BASED PACER
DIAL-IN PACER
NIBS
ABBS
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USER MANUAL

Table of Contents

1. OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. INTRODUCTION TO COURT ELECTRONIC ACCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

3. PACER SERVICE CENTER HOME PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

4. WEB-BASED PACER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A.1 What is Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A.2 Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A.3 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A.4 Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.A.4.1 Dockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.A.4.2 Case Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.A.4.3 Search Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.A.4.4 Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.A.5 Billing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.A.6 Information Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.A.7 Saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.A.8 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.A.9 Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.A.10 Universal Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.A.11 Exiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4.B U.S. Party Case Index for the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4.B.1 All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.B.2 Information Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.B.3 Search Capability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.B.5 Search Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.B.5.1 All Court Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.B.5.2 Appellate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
 4.B.5.3 Bankruptcy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.B.5.4 Civil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.B.5.5 Criminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.B.6 Report Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.B.6.1 Court Code List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.B.6.2 Date Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.B.6.3 Courts Not on Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.B.6.4 Statistical Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.B.7 User Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.B.7.1 Change Client Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.B.7.2 New Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.B.7.3 Billing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.B.7.4 PSC Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.B.7.5 E-mail PSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.B.7.6 Logout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4.C U.S. District Courts (Civil or Criminal) for the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

4.C.1 Understanding Case Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.C.2 Understanding Docket Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.C.3 U.S. District Court PACER Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.C.3.1 Docket Report Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.C.3.2 Review Billing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.C.3.3 Local Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.C.3.4 Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.C.3.5 New Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.C.3.6 Client Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

4.D U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4.D.1 Understanding Case Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.D.2 U.S. Bankruptcy PACER Report Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.D.2.1 Case Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Full Summary Docket Report Claims Register
Case Status Attorney Trustee
Party Alias Associated Press
History Filers Documents
Deadline/Schedules
4.D.2.2 New Cases Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.D.2.3 Creditor Mailing Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.D.3 Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.D.3.1 Review Billing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.D.3.2 Local Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.D.3.3 New Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.D.3.4 Client Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

4.E U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4.E.1 Running A Docket Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.E.1.1 Docket Sheet by Case Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.E.1.2 Docket Sheet by Party Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
 4.E.2 Other PACER Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.E.2.1 PACER Service Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.E.2.2 New Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.E.2.3 Change Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.E.2.4 Billing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.E.2.5 Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

5. DIAL-IN PACER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A.1 What is Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A.2 Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A.3 Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A.4 Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.A.5 Billing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5.A.6 Information Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5.A.7 Capturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5.A.8 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5.A.9 Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.A.10 Time Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.A.11 Other Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.A.12 Exiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.A.13 Getting Answers to Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

5.B U.S. Party Case Index (Dial-Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

5.B.1 All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.B.2 Information Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.B.3 Search Capability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.B.5 Saving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5.B.6 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.B.7 How to Access the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.B.7.1 Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.B.7.2 What Appears After a Successful Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.B.7.3 Name Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the Country to Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
5.B.8 Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.B.8.1 Bankruptcy Name of Social Security/TIN Search . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.B.8.1.1 Performing a Bankruptcy Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.B.8.1.2 Performing a Bankruptcy SS or TIN Search . . . . . . . 39
5.B.8.2 Civil Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5.B.8.3 Civil Nature of Suit Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
5.B.8.4 Criminal Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
5.B.8.5 Appeals Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.B.8.6 Appeals Nature of Suit Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.B.8.7 All Case Type Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.B.8.8 Other Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.1 Date Ranges of Information Provided . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.2 Court Code List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
 5.B.8.8.3 Courts Not Included on Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.4 Message Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.5 General Information and Bulletins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.6 Review Billing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.B.8.8.7 Change Your Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

5.C U.S. District Courts (Dial-Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

5.C.1 Understanding Case Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.C.2 Understanding Docket Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.C.3 Understanding PACER District Court Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.C.4 Searching By Case Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.C.5 Searching By Party Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.6 Searching By Filing Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.7 Pick Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.7.1 Case Number and Party Name Pick Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.7.2 Filing Date Pick Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.7.3 Defendant Pick Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.C.8 Viewing Docket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.C.9 Downloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

5.D U.S. Bankruptcy Courts (Dial-Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

5.D.1 Understanding BANCAP Case Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
5.D.2 Understanding BANCAP Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
5.D.2.1 BANCAP Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
5.D.2.2 Sample Active Case Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

5.E NIBS- National Integrated Bulletin Board System (Dial-Up) . . . . . . . . 53

5.E.1 What is NIBS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5.E.2 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5.E.3 Steps to Getting Access Using NIBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
5.E.4 Main Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
5.E.4.1 Search for Bankruptcy by Case Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
5.E.4.2 Search for Adversary by Adversary Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
5.E.4.3 Search for Bankruptcy or Adversary by Party Name . . . . . . . . . . 55
5.E.4.4 Search for Bankruptcy Party Name by Social Security or Tax/ID . . 56
5.E.4.5 Search for Attorney/Trustee/Professional Address/Phone . . . . . . . 56
5.E.4.6 Display Judges’ Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
5.E.4.7 Change Client ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
5.E.4.8 Quit and Log Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

5.F ABBS- Appellate Bulletin Board System (Dial-Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

5.F.1 Selecting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.F.2 Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.F.3 Docket Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.F.4 Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.F.5 Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
5.F.5.1 Opinions Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
5.F.5.2 Records Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
 5.F.5.3 User Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

5.G Using PACER, NIBS, ABBS - Dial-In Bulletin Board Systems . . . . . . . 59

5.G.1 Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5.G.2 Hanging Up the Modem Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

5.H Courts with Special Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

5.H.1 California Central Bankruptcy Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
5.H.2 Alabama Northern Bankruptcy Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

5.J Tips for Electronic Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

5.J.1 Case Number Wildcarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
5.J.2 Litigant Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
5.J.3 Searching By Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
5.J.4 Common Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
5.J.5 Directory of Electronic Public Access Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
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1. Overview
This manual provides PACER users with a better understanding of what PACER is and how it works.
This manual explains the different systems and how to utilize them most effectively. At this time there
are two types of access, a web-based and a dial-in. To distinguish the difference between these two, it
is essential to read through this manual. Also, generic instructions for accessing web-based and dial-in
district, bankruptcy and appellate court PACER systems are offered in this document.

2. Introduction to Electronic Public Access

The Federal Court system has services and technologies designed to provide people outside the court
(the "public") with easy access to court information. The United States Courts designed an electronic
public access system called PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) for the U.S. District
Courts, the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, and the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.

PACER systems are beneficial for quickly tracking or retrieving accurate information about current
federal cases. These systems provide lists of cases, searched by name or filing date, as well as
comprehensive electronic case summaries and dockets. This is easily accessible information that may
be printed or saved.

Traditionally, PACER has allowed any user with a personal computer the ability to dial-in to a district,
bankruptcy, or appellate court computer and retrieve official electronic case information and court
dockets. Now, PACER is also available on the Internet in a web-based format; however, there are still
some courts requiring communication software and a modem for a connection. Note: Each court
maintains its own computer system and case information database; therefore, there will be some
variations among jurisdictions as to the format and content of information offered.

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3. PACER Service Center Home Page ( http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov )
Visit the PACER Service Center (PSC) website at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov . This site contains
helpful information for PACER users as well as for those interested in obtaining PACER access.
Visitors can access sample data, register for PACER, link to PACER websites, review FAQs, and
retrieve PACER user manuals and modem listings.

Some other special features provided include:

! “Account Information” - PACER users can change account information, change

passwords, check account balance, check court registration, register for additional courts,
review transaction history, download quarterly statements, and subscribe/unsubscribe to the
PACER mailing list.

! “County/District Locator” - Locate the district or county where a case is filed. It is

possible to search for a district by county name, search all counties in a district, or search for a
county name by county code.

! Email Notification - Users can receive current PACER information directly to their email
accounts. The information will include items such as changes to our web site, new courts with
PACER websites, quarterly announcements, availability of quarterly statements, availability of
monthly transactions, PACER Service Center closures for holidays or bad weather, solicitation
for input from PACER users on proposed changes, and more. Click on “Account Information”
to subscribe.

! “Site Search” - Find items of interest quickly by searching our site using a word or phrase.
To use, simply click on "Search."

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4. Web-Based PACER
4.A General Information
This section contains information about accessing PACER on the web. Information for accessing dial-
up PACER is contained in the following section (5).

4.A.1 What Is Needed

A user will need the following items to access the system:

! Computer - There are no minimum requirements other than having a system capable of running
a web browser.
! Internet Access - This version of PACER is accessible through the Internet; therefore, having
Internet access is required.
! Web Browser - This release of PACER was written as a Web application for Netscape 4.x or
Internet Explorer 4.x and above. However, it is recommended to use the most recent version of
any browser.
! Printer - A printer is indispensable for obtaining a "hard copy"of the information received.

Note: If there is a problem with in-office equipment, contact the equipment vendor (the PACER Service Center
cannot provide assistance). Neither the PACER Service Center nor the court has the resources to provide extensive
technical assistance for trouble with a PC communicating or other problems. Please contact the vendor or local
systems technician if difficulties occur using a terminal or computer equipment.

4.A.2 Availability
The PACER System is available days, nights, and weekends. Confirmation of updates or non-updates
to active and recently closed cases can be verified without having to make repeated trips to the
courthouse for written records.

4.A.3 Security
The Web PACER login screen is protected by the secure SSL Web server. This software encrypts
information from users as it is sent across the Internet keeping their logins and passwords concealed.
When the secure server is being used, the lock at the bottom of the browser will appear locked. A
notice may appear indicating movement from a secure document to an insecure document. This
message may be disregarded.

4.A.4 Cost
The U.S. Congress has given the Judicial Conference of the United Sates, the judicial governing body
of the U.S. Federal Courts, authority to impose user fees for electronic access to case information. All
registered agencies or individuals will be assessed the charge of $.08 per page accessed. Generally, a
page is defined as 54 lines of data. When charges are accrued, a transaction receipt will appear at the
bottom of each html document. This will indicate the number of pages billed for that particular
transaction. Detailed descriptions are listed below

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4.A.4.1 Dockets: Docket reports are generated with form feeds or page breaks marking each page.
The number of form feeds or page breaks within each docket are counted and used to determine the
number of pages for a particular docket sheet before the document is reformatted for display as an html
document. A docket may contain pages with more or less than 54 lines.
Note: Form feeds and page breaks will not appear in the html formatted document displayed on the screen.

4.A.4.2 Case Reports: Case reports such as the New Case Listing or Mailing Matrix, which do not
have form feeds or page breaks, are determined at the rate of 54 lines per page. The lines are counted
from the raw data files before they are formatted for display as an html document on the screen.

4.A.4.3 Search Results: Search results are also billed at the rate of 54 lines per page. Each hit is
considered one line. The lines are counted from the raw data files before they are formatted for display
as an html document on the screen.

4.A.4.4 Images: Some PACER web sites will offer images of documents filed. These images will be
billed according to the number of pages scanned; therefore, each scanned page equals one billable
page. For a listing of these courts, visit the “Links to PACER Web Sites” at
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov. The courts providing images are annotated with an Image icon.

If information retrieved from a PACER web site is printed, the print job will not always match the
number of pages billed. The number of pages printed is dependent on individual printer and browser
settings. All users are billed the same amount for the same information regardless of the browser
settings or printer configurations. A transaction receipt and the Review Billing History option are
provided in each court site for reviewing charges.

To assess these charges, cookies are used to uniquely identify users while running a Web PACER
application. For more information about cookies, refer to http://www.cookiecentral.com.

4.A.5 Billing
The PACER Service Center sends quarterly statements. For any balance that is less than $10,
payment will be deferred until the account balance reaches $10 or more. Payment can be made by
check, money order, or credit card. Call the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856 to pay a
balance using VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. If payment is made by check,
please include the login on the check to ensure that payment is posted to the correct account. Mail
payment to: PACER Service Center, P.O. Box 277773, Atlanta, GA 30384-7773

If a client code is entered for a transaction, that client code will be presented on the statement. Client
code features are thirty-two character text fields provided for tracking charges. A client code will not
appear on the bill unless it is entered at the time of transaction. Because the client code feature is
optional, it must be enforced within one's office.

If you believe there is an error on your statement, please write to the PACER Service Center, P.O.
Box 780549, San Antonio, Texas 78278-0549. All requests for credit must be submitted in writing.

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In your correspondence, provide us with your name, account number, and the dollar amount of the
suspected error(s) together with a copy of the portion of the statement in question highlighting the
disputed amounts. Please provide a reason for each credit being requested.
4.A.6 Information Currency
The district and appellate courts’ PACER sites are updated from the main court computer once daily.
This will provide access to information from the previous days close of business. The bankruptcy
PACER sites are live. This will provide up to the minute information. If there are questions about the
information the court is providing (How far back does the data go? Why are there docket entries
missing? Or other questions about docket entries), contact the court directly.

4.A.7 Saving
Saving a file can be done one of two ways. The first is to select “Save As...” under the browser tool
bar option, File. Then open the file in word processing software. When the formatted report is saved,
the file will be in HTML format; plain text, or ascii DOS text.

The second way is to use the browser's Clipboard copy and paste functions to save/transfer information
to a desired location. The Clipboard is a temporary storage area in memory used to transfer
information. PACER information can be copied onto the clipboard and then pasted into files in other
applications. Copying and pasting can be used anywhere in the Case Information and Reports
components of PACER.

The copy and paste function is located under the browser's Edit drop-down window. To copy, use the
mouse to highlight the text on the screen. To highlight, click and hold down the left mouse button at the
beginning of the text, drag across to the end of the text, and release the mouse button. The desired text
will be highlighted. Then, select the Edit/Copy (Ctrl-c) to copy the highlighted text to the clipboard. To
paste, point the mouse pointer to the desired Windows application location and then select Edit/Paste
(Ctrl-v).

4.A.8 Printing
To print a screen, click on the browser’s Print button. If there is a "frame" at the top of the screen (in
Query, case information is separated from the rest of the screen by a line, called a frame), click on the
lower half of the screen before clicking the print button. If there is not a frame, click in the body of the
document before clicking on the print button.

4.A.9 Connecting
1. Enter the appropriate URL in the location site of the browser. Most courts will be located at
http://pacer.court*.uscourts.gov. However, links are also available at the PACER Service Center
home site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov in the “Links to PACER Web Sites.”
*The court will consist of the court’s initials. These initials are the state abbreviation of the district (if applicable),
and the first letter of the type of court (b for bankruptcy and d for district). For example, the Texas Northern
Bankruptcy Court will be http://pacer.txnb.uscourts.gov .

2. At the PACER Welcome Page, click on “Login to Pacer.”

Note: If you do not see the “Login to Pacer”, set your browser to enable Java script. You will need to upgrade your
browser if your browser does not support Java script.

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3. Enter assigned PACER login and password at the id and password prompt. All logins and
passwords MUST be entered in LOWER CASE letters. An optional thirty-two character text may
be entered at the client code field for tracking charges.

4. Click on Submit.
4.A.10 Universal Login
Users of PACER on the Internet have the added convenience of a Universal Login feature. This feature
allows a user to login at one PACER site on the Internet and move to other PACER sites without
having to login again as long as the browser remains open. However, if the browser is closed, it will be
necessary to login again. A cookie-enabled browser is required for the Universal Login to work.

4.A.11 Exiting
PACER can be exited at any time by clicking on the Close box to exit the Web browser or by moving
to another Web application. Please note, the amount of time on-line is not significant for billing (see
4.A.5 Billing).

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4.B U.S. Party Case Index for the Web
Electronic public access services have rapidly expanded throughout the federal judiciary in the past few
years. The public demand for these services has increased, both in terms of the number of registrants
and the amount of actual usage. Several hundred registrants regularly review large numbers of cases in
many jurisdictions. Some of these registrants, in particular organizations tracking regional or national
bankruptcy, civil or criminal litigation have requested more efficient methods to retrieve case information
from multiple court jurisdictions. In response to this need, the Judiciary created the U.S. Party/Case
Index at http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov .

The U.S. Party/Case Index is a national index for the United States appellate, district and bankruptcy
courts. Subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index
each night. The index serves as a locator index for the users of the federal judiciary Electronic Public
Access services. Therefore, a nationwide search will determine whether or not a party is involved in
federal litigation. Detailed information on cases found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, may
be accessed through a link, if provided, or by dialing into the PACER system for the particular
jurisdiction where the case is located.

4.B.1 All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index
Not all federal courts participate in the U.S. Party/Case Index. The non-participating courts are listed
under "Courts not on Index" option on the Index’s main menu. These courts do not have data available
on the U.S. Party/Case Index. For a complete nationwide search, those courts need to be searched
individually. The list of non-participating courts found on the Index site is updated nightly.

4.B.2 Information Currency

Each night subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index.
However, information is not retrieved from all courts. Therefore, it is pertinent to review the “Date
Ranges” option from the Index’s main menu or visit http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/range.pl because
not all the courts are up to date. This is especially true for court systems the PACER Service Center no
longer supports.

4.B.3 Search Capability

The U.S. Party/Case Index will allow users to search nationwide by case number, party name or social
security number in the bankruptcy index; case number, party name and/or nature of suit in the civil
index; case number or defendant name in the criminal index; and case number, party name and/or
nature of suit in the appellate index. Each hit produced from a search will give the party name, the court
where the case is filed, the case number, and the filing date.

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4.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases
To access information on a particular case found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, such as a
copy of the docket, either use the case number link to the case summary information or dial into the
particular court's PACER machine where the case is located. Only courts that have PACER accessible
through the Internet will provide a link through the case number. Every PACER user is registered with
all the PACER Internet courts.

NOTE: The charge for viewing a linked docket will not appear in the Review Billing History option of
the U.S. Party/Case Index. The charge will appear at the linked court's Review Billing History option.

The courts that are not accessible through the Internet will not provide a link; therefore, the information
can only be retrieved by dialing into the court. If a user pre-registered with each court, then the user’s
login and password issued for the U.S. Party/Case Index should work on each court's dial-in PACER
machine. To register for additional courts, either contact the PACER Service Center or visit “Account
Information” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov and register on-line.

4.B.5 Search Options

Searches must be run with at least a party name, a case number, or a nature of suit code. Other fields
are optional and are provided to limit a search. Form instructions and help are available on each online
search menu.

If the criteria searched produces a hit, the data list will be displayed one page at a time. An option is
available to download the entire search results as a text or zip file.

If the court is running the Internet version of PACER, the case number field in the output list will be a
direct link to the full case information on the court’s PACER machine.

The court field in the output list is a link to the PACER modem number for that court or the court’s
PACER web site if the court is available on the Internet.

A receipt will be displayed at the bottom of the screen indicating the number of billable pages and cost
for the data on the current viewable web page only. It does not include the cost for any previously
viewed pages.

When searches are concluded, select the Logout option to view the day’s transactions.

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4.B.5.1 All Court Types
This option will search a party name in appellate, bankruptcy, civil and criminal courts. The search can
be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to
search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning
and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end
date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce
the number of search results.

4. A party name MUST be entered to perform search.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court where the case is located, the filing
date, and the case number, the chapter for bankruptcy cases, the nature of suit for civil cases, and the
closing date for civil and criminal cases.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWBK for the Texas Western
Bankruptcy Court or TXWDC for the Texas Western District Court. The first two letters will be the
postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the following letter indicating the district within the
state ( C for central district, E for eastern district, M for middle district, N for northern district, S for
southern district, or W for western district). Following the district abbreviation will be either BK for a
Bankruptcy Court, DC for a District Court, or CA for the Circuit Court of Appeals. To view a listing
of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.2 Appellate
This option will search the appellate courts by either case number, a party name and/or a nature of suit
code. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to
search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning
and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end
date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

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3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce
the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, case number, or a nature or suit code must be entered to perform a search. A
combination of party name and nature of suit is allowed. Other combinations of these fields are not
allowed.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court where the case is located, the case
number, the filing date, the nature of suit code (for civil cases), and the closing date (if applicable) on
each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like 01CA for the First Circuit Court of
Appeals. The first two characters will be a numeric or alpha representation for the circuit followed by
the letters CA for the Circuit Court of Appeals. To view a listing of the court codes, go to “Court
Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.3 Bankruptcy
This option will search the bankruptcy courts by a party name, social security number, tax identification
number, or a case number. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to
search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning
and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end
date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce
the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, social security number, tax identification number, or a case number must be
entered to perform a search. The search will not combine these fields, so only one of these fields can
be entered.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

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7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.
Party/Case Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing
date, and chapter for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWBK for the Texas Western
Bankruptcy Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with
the following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M
for middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view
a listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.5.4 Civil
This option will search a district court for civil cases by case number, party name and/or nature of suit
code. The search can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to
search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning
and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end
date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce
the number of search results.

4. Either a party name, case number, or a nature of suit code must be entered to perform a search. A
combination of party name and nature of suit is allowed. Other combinations of these fields are not
allowed.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.
Party/Case Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court in which the case is
located, case number, filing date, nature of suit, and closing date for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWDC for the Texas Western
District Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for
middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view a
listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

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4.B.5.5 Criminal
This option will search a district court for criminal cases by party name or case number. The search
can be limited by state or region and by a date range.

1. If needed, select a particular state or region of the country to limit the search. The default is to
search all courts.

2. If needed, limit a search to a particular date range. To search one day, enter the same beginning
and end date. To search forward, only enter a beginning date. To search backward, only enter an end
date. The default will search for cases without a date range.

3. If needed, limit a search by selecting both a state or region and a date range. This may help reduce
the number of search results.

4. Either a party name or a case number must be entered to perform a search. The search will not
combine these fields, so only one of these fields can be entered.

5. Select to receive results with the case title or without the case title.

6. Click on search.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria you have entered. The U.S.
Party/Case Index will display the party name, case title (if chosen), the court in which the case is
located, case number, filing date, and the closing date for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWDC for the Texas Western
District Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for
middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). To view a
listing of the court codes, go to “Court Code List” under the Reports option on the main menu.

4.B.6 Report Options

4.B.6.1 Court Code List
This option will provide a list of the court abbreviations used by the U.S. Party/Case Index.

4.B.6.2 Date Ranges

This option will provide the date ranges of the cases in each court. It will specify how far back the
search will go and the last time the U.S. Party/Case Index was updated for each court.

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4.B.6.3 Courts Not on Index
This option will provide a list of the courts not included in the U.S. Party/Case Index at this time.

4.B.6.4 Statistical Reports

The only report available at this time on the U.S. Party/Case Index is the F-5A. Additional statistical
reports are available on the Judiciary’s web site (www.uscourts.gov), under “Judicial Business of the
United States Courts.”

The F-5A report provides a summary of the number of business and non-business bankruptcy petitions
filed, by chapter of the bankruptcy code, for a twelve month period. It displays totals by county code,
as well as each circuit and judicial district. County codes are determined by the county of residence of
the first named debtor in the petitions. Summary categories have been provided for “Within U.S., but
outside home state” and “Outside U.S.”

Note: Details on county codes can be accessed under “County/District Locator” at

http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.B.7 User Options

4.B.7.1 Change Client Code
This option will provide a means for changing a client code to track charges for later billing. In order
for a client code to appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a
search. It can be changed and updated several times during a session.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.

*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.B.7.2 New Login

This option will provide the means to login as a new or different user.

4.B.7.3 Billing History

This option provides billing history for the U.S. Party/Case Index. Included in the Billing History is the
date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client code
(if applicable), the description of the type of information provided, and the search criteria entered to run
the search.

1. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions
will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped

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by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

2. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not
entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

3. Click on Run Report.

4.B.7.4 PSC Home Page

This option is a link to the PACER Service Center home site, http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.B.7.5 E-mail PSC

This option allows users to send an email to the PACER Service Center.

4.B.7.6 Logout
This option will provide the total charges for the day and a complete listing of the day’s transactions for
the U.S. Party/Case Index.

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4.C U.S. District Courts (civil or criminal) for the Web
4.C.1 Understanding Case Numbers
The district court uses four-part numbers. A typical case number is as follows:

"1:00cv12345"

1: 00 cv 12345
(Office (Case (Case (Case
Number) Year) Type) Sequence)

If a court has more than one office (divisional offices), there will be an office code (i.e. 1, 2, 3, or 4) for
each division. All cases opened in a given year have the last two digits of the year as the second part of
the case number. Next, is the case type. This can either be "cv" for a civil case or “cr” for a criminal
case. Finally, there is an ascending sequence number (i.e. 12345). All four parts of the case number
are needed to uniquely identify a case in the court.

Fortunately, if the case type or office number is omitted on the PACER system, it will display all cases
which match the year and number entered. The correct one can then be selected from the list shown.

4.C.2 Understanding Docket Reports

If the user is not familiar with the docket reports, it may take a moment before the format is recognized.
These reports were designed to be the official record of a case, primarily used by individuals intimately
familiar with the format.

The typical docket report contains information obtained from the Civil or Criminal Cover Sheet
submitted by the plaintiff for each complaint filed. The parties and counsel for each party, including an
address and telephone number, appears on the first page of the docket report.

Following a list of the participants in a case, a page break starts a fresh page for the listing of events in
the case.

Additional features of the docket report include:

Docket as of... -- this is the date and time the report was processed on the court's main
computer. If no recent updates have been made to the case, this date may be quite some
time ago since it has not been necessary to reprocess the report when no updates have
occurred.

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Nature of Suit: -- refer to the Civil Cover Sheet list for a complete explanation of the
various codes used here. To view a list of all recognized Nature of Suit codes, visit
“PACER Documents” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

Major categories include:

110-195 Contracts 610-690 Forfeiture/Penalty
210-290 Real Property 710-790 Labor
310-385 Torts 820-840 Property Rights
422-423 Bankruptcy 861-865 Social Security
440-444 Civil Rights 870-875 Federal Tax Suits
510-550 Prisoner Petitions

Jurisdiction: -- The basis of jurisdiction that this complaint can be filed at the U.S.
District Court.

Cause: -- The U.S. Civil Statute (in Title:Section format) under which the plaintiff files the
complaint, as well as a brief description of the statute.

Lead Docket: -- The case docket number of the lead case for associated or joined cases
such as multi-district litigation cases (MDL) and associated cases.

Dkt # in other court: -- The case docket number from another court; cases such as
Bankruptcy Appeals, Removals from State Courts and transfers from other District Courts.

Case Type: -- The major category (Civil, Criminal, or Miscellaneous) and the sub-
category, if any.

[COR LD NTC] -- Stands for "Counsel Of Record", as well as "LeaD" attorney. The
"NTC" indicates this person will receive notices for the case. Could also contain PRO SE,
indicating a self-represented party.

4/19/88 -- The left hand dates in the event list for the case indicate when each event was
filed in the court.

1 -- The sequence numbers which follow the left hand date are unique document numbers
for each filing in the case record. If a "--" appears, there is no document for the particular
docketed entry.

(eaf) -- The initials of the court staff member who docketed the event.

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 [Entry date 4/20/88] -- The date the event was electronically entered on the electronic
docket; it appears only if the entry date differs from the filing date.

[Edit date 4/25/88] -- The date this event was edited by the court staff.

There may be additional codes or notations at the top right side of each docket page. These local court
codes or words represent special case identifiers for court or case management processing.

4.C.3 U.S. District Court PACER Options

4.C.3.1 Docket Report Search

The first screen that appears after logging in is the Docket Report Search screen. A search run from
here will provide a specified case's docket report. If more than one party or case fits the search criteria,
a list to choose from will be given. A case summary is provided which will give the size and cost of the
docket requested.

1. In order to specify a case, enter the case number or party name* in the appropriate space and
click on Search. Note: Only one search criteria may be used. If two or more of the search options are
entered, the latter will be searched. For example, if a case number is entered and then the party name
is entered, the case number will be erased as soon as the Search button is clicked.
* Note: When specifying a case with party name, enter either last name or last name, first name/first initial (i.e., smith
; smith, j or smith, john).

* Note: When specifying a case number you may enter either the whole four part case number (i.e. 1:99cr12345) or a
partial number (i.e. 99-12345 or 99cv234).

1.a. A party pick list may be produced if there is more than one party corresponding with the party
name searched. If more choices exist than appear in the display area, scroll bars will be present to the
right of the selection box. Either the mouse or arrow keys* may be utilized to scroll up or down through
the choices. The number of matching parties will be provided at the end of the listing.

*Note: If the arrow keys are not responding, click on the active screen.

1.b. To select a party, click on the preferred selection.

2. In order to retrieve a list of cases for a particular filing date* or retrieve a listing of cases filed within a
certain date range, enter the beginning and ending dates in the appropriate spaces and click on Search.
*Note: To retrieve a list of cases filed for a particular date, enter the date in the first field (beginning date field)and
click on Search.

2.a. A Case Selection Page will appear after a file date is searched. The case list will provide each
case's number, name and file date. The number of matching cases will be provided at the end of the
listing.

2.b. To select a case, click on the preferred case number.

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3. Once a case has been selected, a Case Summary will be provided. At this time, the Report Length
and Display Cost will be given. To accept charges and view the docket information, click on either
“Formatted Report” or “Plain Text.” If images are provided by the court, they will be accessible
through the Formatted Docket Report.

Note: Experimentation may be needed to see whether the Formatted or Plain Text will be better when
viewing, printing, copying or saving the downloaded information. This will vary depending on the
browser used, as well as, any other software applications that will use the information.

4.C.3.2 Review Billing History

This option provides billing history for the jurisdiction being accessed. Included in the Billing History is
the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client
code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided (i.e., a docket report, case
search, etc.), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Review Billing History.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions
will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped
by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not
entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.C.3.3 Local Options

This option is locally developed by the court.

4.C.3.4 Help
This option displays the District Court Web PACER User Guide which contains helpful information
about running this application.

4.C.3.5 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

4.C.3.6 Client Code

This feature will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to
appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be
changed and updated several times during a session.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.

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*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.D U. S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Web

4.D.1 Understanding Case Numbers
When first accessing a court, a new user may not be familiar with the two-part bankruptcy case
numbers used. All cases opened in a given year have the last two digits of the year as the first part of
the case number followed by an ascending sequence number (i.e. 99-99999). Some courts have more
specific protocols for assigning case numbers. Contact the court for information on court-specific
numbering schemes.

4.D.2 U.S. Bankruptcy PACER Report Options

4.D.2.1 Case Information

The first screen that appears after logging in is the Case Information screen.

1. In order to specify a case, enter the case number, party name, attorney name, social security
number, or a tax identification number in the appropriate space and click on search.
When searching by party name or attorney name, a non-case sensitive wildcard search will be
performed. A non-case sensitive search allows you to enter a name in any combination of uppercase
and lowercase letters, which will extract all names which have any combination of matching uppercase
or lowercase letters in the name fields. Wildcard means that all entries which begin with the characters
which you entered in the name fields will be extracted.

When searching by social security number you must enter an exact match, wildcarding is not permitted.

Only one search criteria may be used. If two or more of the search options are entered in, the latter will
be searched. For example, if a case number is entered and then the social security number is entered,
the case number will be erased as soon as the Search button is clicked.

2. A picklist may be produced if there is more than one match. If more choices exist than appear in the
display area, scroll bars will be present to the right of the selection box. Either the mouse or arrow
keys* may be utilized to scroll up or down through the choices. The number of the matching parties or
cases will be provided at the end of the listing.
*Note: If the arrow keys are not responding, click on the active screen.

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3. To select a case or party, click on the arrow to the left of the selection or click on the selection itself.

4. Once the specified case has been selected, a list of available case information options will be given.
Simply click on the desired option to retrieve the information. If the case selected has been archived,
the only options available are: Full Summary, Party, Attorney, Alias, and Trustee. The following are
descriptions of what each option provides.

Full Summary - This will provide a basic summary of the specified case. The information provided
on the Full Summary is as follows:

Case Number: The case number for the target case.

Case Title: The case title for the target case. "Debtor 1 and Debtor 2" for bankruptcy cases; "Plaintiff
1 vs. Defendant 1" for adversary proceedings.

Case Type: The case type of the target case. bk for bankruptcy case; ap for adversary proceeding;
mp for miscellaneous.

Chapter: The chapter of the target case.

Asset: The asset flag for the target case. y signifies "asset case"; n signifies "not asset case"; u signifies
"unknown".

Voluntary Flag: v signifies that the target case is a voluntary bankruptcy case; i signifies that it is an
involuntary one.

Judge: The judge assigned to the target case.

Office: The divisional office for the target case.

Fee: Fee status for the target bankruptcy case. p signifies that the case filing fee has been paid; i
signifies that the case is an installment case and that the final installment has not yet been paid.

Joint Flag: y signifies that the target case is a joint bankruptcy case; n signifies that it is an individual
case.

Reopen: The number of times the target case has been reopened.

Reopen Date: If reopened, the filed date of the docket entry which reopened the case.

Filed Date: The filed date of the petition in a bankruptcy case or the complaint in an adversary
proceeding.

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Term Date: If closed, the filed date of the closing docket entry.

Reterm Date: If reopened, the previous closing date.

Disposition (Disp): If the target case has been closed, the final disposition.

County: The county code for the case.

Flags: If any case flags are present on the target case, they will appear here. Flags are locally
designed and may contain such items as "CLOSED", or "CLAIMS", "MONEY", etc.

Discharged Date: The date the order of discharge was entered.

Status: The next major milestone in the target case.

Trustee: If the target case is a bankruptcy case, the trustee assigned.

Trustee Phone: The phone number for the trustee.

Trustee City: The city from the assigned trustee's address.

Party: All parties added to the target case.

Attorney: Attorneys in the case.

Docket Report - This will provide the docket report for the specified case and images of documents
if they are provided by the court. Information included in this report is the title and number of the case;
the date filed; the judge assigned to the case; related cases; the parties and their attorneys, each event
with document number (if applicable), the date filed; and the docket entry information. Also included is
an option to produce a docket report for a specified date range.

Claims Register - This will provide a list of claims with relevant information for the specified case.
A search may be run by entering a claim number, a range of claim numbers, or leaving blank to retrieve
all claims. This report may be sorted alphabetically by creditor name, or numerically by claim number.
Once the report is run, the information displayed for each claim includes the case number; claims bar
date; debtor's name; "creditor for" name (if applicable); creditor name and address; claim number; date
claim filed; nature of claim; filed late; deficiency; unliquidated; amount; class; total; amount allowed;
order action; duplicate of; duplicate by; amended of; amended by; remarks; description; and
government bar date.

Case Status - This will provide the current status for the specified case (e.g., Awaiting Closing
Order). Included in the information is the status itself; the date the status was established; and the event
that established the status.

Attorney - This will provide all attorneys associated with the specified case. Included in the
information displayed is the name and address of each attorney; the party represented; whether the

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attorney has been terminated from the case; and whether the attorney is pro se.

Trustee - This will provide the trustee(s) assigned to the specified case. Included in the information
displayed is the trustee's address; telephone number; date assigned; and date terminated.

Party - This will display all parties associated with the specified case. Included in the information
displayed is the name and address of each party; the type of party (e.g. defendant); and the parties
terminated date from the case (if applicable).

Alias - This will provide a list of parties for the case (with the type of party included). From there, you
may select any one of the parties; the alias, if there is one, will be displayed.

Associated Cases - This will provide cases related to the target case. Information included is the
member case number; the type of case; and the case title. You can click on the associated case listed
and the program will take you to the Available Case Information Options. From there, you may select
any one of the options for the associated case. To get back to the original case, click on the "Back"
button of the browser.

History - This will provide all the public events docketed to the specified case. Included in the
information is the document number (if applicable); the date filed; a description of the event; and the
docket text of the event.

Filers - This will provide a list of all parties who have filed documents for the specified case.
Information included in the list of all documents that each filer is responsible for include the document
number; filed date; description of document; and the docket text of the document.

Documents - This will provide a list of all the documents associated with the specified case. Included
in the information is the document number; date filed; description of document; filer of the document;
and docket text of the document. If the court provides images of documents, the docket entry number
will provide a link to the imaged document.

Deadlines/Schedules - This will display the pending hearings/deadlines for the specified case.
Included in the information is the description of the deadline/schedule; the filed date; the due date and
time; and the docket text.

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4.D.2.2 New Cases Report
The New Cases Report provides certain case information for cases which have been entered into the
court's database during a specified range of docket dates. It is generally used to view new cases which
have been entered the previous day or previous week. The output can be in 'raw data' (or
unprocessed) format, or a formatted report, depending on which option you specify when running the
report. The report is sorted first by docket date, then by case number and party name. Only debtor,
joint debtor, plaintiff, and defendant participants are listed in the report. The information included in the
report is case number, party's name and address, social security or tax id number, filing date, and the
chapter.

When selecting the 'raw' format, the data is displayed accordingly:

Case Year|Case Sequence|Chapter|Date Filed|Court Name|Last Name|First Name| Middle

Name|Generation|Social Security Number|Tax Id|Street Address|Address 2|Address 3|City|State|5
Digit Zip Code|4 Digit Zip Code Extension

To run the report:

1. Click on New Cases Report from the Report Options.

2. Enter a specific date range. If a date range is not entered, the begin date will default to 'yesterday'
and the end date will default to 'today' date.

3. Specify the format of the output. The options will be either raw data or report format.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.D.2.3 Creditor Mailing Matrix

The Creditor Mailing Matrix provides creditor matrix information in either 'raw' (unprocessed format), a
'one column label' format, or a 'three column label' format.

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When selecting 'raw' format the data is displayed accordingly:

Case Number|Name of Creditor|Address 1|Address 2|Address 3|Address 4

If one or more of the above fields is blank, the information is shifted to the left, for example:

Case Number: 96-12345

Name of Creditor: Bugs Bunny
Address 1: [blank]
Address 2: 12345 Bunny Road
Address 3: [blank]
Address 4: Washington, DC 12345

The 'raw' data would appear as: 96-12345|Bugs Bunny|12345 Bunny Road|Washington, DC 12345|||

To run the report:

1. Click on Creditor Mailing Matrix from the Report Options.

2. Enter a case number for the requested creditor mailing matrix.

3. Select the format of output. The options will consist of a one column, a three column, or a raw data
format.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.D.3 Other Options

4.D.3.1 Review Billing History
Billing History is the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the
transaction, the client code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided(i.e., a
docket report, case summary), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Review Billing History from Other Options.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions
will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped
by client code in order by date with a sub total for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not
entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current day.

4. Click on Run Report.

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4.D.3.2 Local Options
This option is locally developed by the court.

4.D.3.3 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

4.D.3.4 Client Code

This feature will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to
appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be changed and
updated several times during a session.

The client code field is located below the list of Other Options, as seen by the image to the left.

1. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

2. Click on Update*.
*If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.
4.E U.S. Court of Appeals for the Web
The court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals
from decisions of federal administrative agencies. There are a total of twelve regional circuits that are
made up of the 94 judicial districts. To see a listing of the circuits and the states which make up those
circuits, visit “PACER Documents” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

Note: PACER does not provide access to all the Appellate courts. The courts that are covered by
PACER will provide case summaries and docket reports for cases. Opinions are also available at no
cost.

4.E.1 Running A Search

The screen that appears after successfully logging in is the PACER search screen. In order to retrieve
a Docket Report, either a case number or party/attorney name must be entered.

4.E.1.1 Docket Sheet by Case Number

Enter the Appellate Case Number and Click on the OK button to the right. The case number must be
entered as ##-#### where the first two digits are the year and the last four are the number (i.e.
96-1211).

The case selection will return a one page summary which includes the short title (ie. Simth v.
Jones), nature of suit, district of origin, lower court docket number, lower court judge and the latest
docket entries on the case. There is a 1 page charge for the case summary.

The summary page will also display the page count and cost for viewing the full docket. To view the full
docket and the Opinions, if available, click on either “Full Docket” or “Opinions.” Court opinions are

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offered at no charge.

When viewing the Full Docket, the entire text of the docket sheet is displayed but duplicate blank lines
are removed. While this makes it easier to view the docket sheet, printing will produce fewer physical
pages than the original version of the docket sheet. Billing is based on the number of pages in the
docket sheet before the removal of the duplicate blank lines.

4.E.1.2 Docket Sheet by Party Name

To display a list of cases for a party and/or attorney, enter all or part of the persons last name and first
name separated by a comma. The search is NOT case sensitive and spaces are not needed. Both
Jones, Jim and jones,jim will find the same information.

Do not use wildcards in either the first or last name. Entering Smi will find Smiley, Smith and Smithers.
Entering Smi, Jo will find Joe Smiley, John Smiley, Jonathan Smith and JoAnn Smithers.

Check or uncheck the Party and Attorney check boxes to select the search criteria to be used. Click
on Search to display a listing of cases that match the criteria searched. This listing will provide the Case
Number, Party/Attorney Name and the Short Title. The listing of matched cases will be displayed one
page at a time and charged for accordingly. If more than one page exists for the listing, the option
“Next” will be provided at the top and bottom of the list, in order to retrieve the next page.

To view more information on a case from the list, click on the Case Number to display the case
summary for that case. The case summary consist of a one page summary which includes the short title
(ie. Simth v. Jones), nature of suit, district of origin, lower court docket number, lower court judge and
the latest docket entries on the case. There is a 1 page charge for the case summary.

The summary page will also display the page count and cost for viewing the full docket. To view the full
docket and the Opinions, if available, click on either “Full Docket” or “Opinions.” Court opinions are
offered at no charge.

When viewing the Full Docket, the entire text of the docket sheet is displayed but duplicate blank lines
are removed. While this makes it easier to view the docket sheet, printing will produce fewer physical
pages than the original version of the docket sheet. Billing is based on the number of pages in the
docket sheet before the removal of the duplicate blank lines.

4.E.2 Other PACER Options

4.E.2.1 PACER Service Center
This option is a link to the PACER Service Center home site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov .

4.E.2.2 New Login

This option will provide the login and password to be reentered or changed.

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1. Click on New Login.

2. Enter assigned PACER login and password at the id and password prompt. An optional thirty-two
character text may be entered at the client code field for tracking charges.

3. Click on Submit.

4.E.2.3 Change Client

This option will provide a means for tracking charges for later billing. In order for a client code to
appear on a statement, it must be entered and updated prior to a search. It can be changed and
updated several times during a session.

1. Click on Change Client.

2. Enter up to thirty-two characters in the Client code field.

3. Click on Update.
Note: If the update is not invoked, the client code entered will not be accepted.

4.E.2.4 Billing History

This option provides billing history for the jurisdiction being accessed. Included in the Billing History is
the date the transaction was run, the time it started, the number of pages for the transaction, the client
code (if applicable), the description of the type of information provided (i.e., a docket report, case
search, etc.), and the search criteria entered to run the search.

1. Click on Billing History.

2. Choose the order of output by either Date or Client code/Date. If Date is chosen, the transactions
will be listed chronologically by date. If the Client code/Date is chosen, the transactions will be grouped
by client code in order by date with a subtotal for each.

3. Enter a start and end date for the billing transactions in the specified location. If dates are not
entered, the defaulted transactions will run through the first of the current month and the current date.

4. Click on Run Report.

4.E.2.5 Comment
This option will provide the means to send an e-mail message to the PACER Services Center.

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5. PACER Dial-In
5.A General Information
This section contains information about accessing the PACER dial-in Bulletin Board System. The
previous section (4) contains information about accessing PACER on the Internet.

5.A.1 What Is Needed

The following items are needed to access the PACER dial-in Bulletin Board System. If there is a
problem with in-office equipment, contact the equipment vendor. Neither the PACER Service Center
nor the court has the resources to provide extensive technical assistance for trouble with a PC
communicating or other problems. Please contact the vendor or local systems technician if basic
difficulties are occurring using a terminal or computer equipment.

! Computer -- A computer allows the user to save downloaded data (case information) onto a
disk for later review, printing, or even editing (such as with a word processor). This will also
provide the means to run some type of communication software.

! Printer -- A printer is indispensable for obtaining a "hard copy" of the information received. It
is much easier to read a printed version, and it can serve as a file document for later reference.

! Modem -- Currently 9600 or faster baud modems are acceptable. Use the fastest speed
possible. It makes the system easier to use, particularly for downloading large docket reports.

5.A.2 Technical Specifications

Most PACER Bulletin Board Systems are in ASCII format and are set for 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and
no parity with vt100 terminal emulation. However, there are some courts that have special software

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requirements. It is important to review the modem listing at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov . If a court
has any specific software requirements, it will be noted.

5.A.3 Availability
Access to electronic information is available virtually around the clock.

5.A.4 Cost
The U. S. Congress has given the Judicial Conference of the United States, the judicial governing body
for the U.S. Federal Courts, authority to impose user fees for electronic access to case information. All
registered agencies or individuals will be assessed the charge of $.60 per minute of access time for dial-
in Bulletin Board Systems. PACER billing begins upon a successful login, and fees will accrue until the
session is terminated by the user or there is an abnormal exit. An abnormal exit is defined as turning off
the modem in mid-transmission, losing the carrier, etc.

5.A.5 Billing
The PACER Service Center sends quarterly statements. For any balance that is less than $10,
payment will be deferred until the account balance reaches $10 or more. Payment can be made by
check, money order, or credit card. Call the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856 to pay a
balance using VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. If payment is made by check,
please include the login on the check to ensure that payment is posted to the correct account. Mail
payment to: PACER Service Center, P.O. Box 277773, Atlanta, GA 30384-7773

If a client code is entered for a transaction, that client code will be presented on the statement. Client
code features are thirty-two character text fields provided for tracking charges. A client code will not
appear on the bill unless it is entered at the time of transaction. Because the client code feature is
optional, it must be enforced within one's office.

If you believe there is an error on your statement, please write to the PACER Service Center, P.O.
Box 780549, San Antonio, Texas 78278-0549. All requests for credit must be submitted in writing.
In your correspondence, provide us with your name, account number, and the dollar amount of the
suspected error(s) together with a copy of the portion of the statement in question highlighting the
disputed amounts. Please provide a reason for each credit being requested.

5.A.6 Information Currency

The district and appellate courts’ PACER sites are updated from the main court computer once daily.
This will provide access to information from the previous days close of business. The bankruptcy
PACER sites are live. This will provide up to the minute information. If there are questions about the
information the court is providing (How far back does the data go? Why are there docket entries

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missing? Or other questions about docket entries), contact the court directly.

5.A.7 Capturing
The easiest method for saving information from the PACER system is to set the communication
software to capture the “text” in a continuous save to disk. Also, most software programs will provide
a capture to “printer” feature as well. When performing either a capture to “text file” or “printer,” it is
important to invoke the capture feature before the text is listed continuously or non-stop and turned off
once the text has stopped scrolling. Note: The capture feature is provided by the communication
software; therefore, the software manual will provide any information for invoking the capture feature.

When the session is finished, it is possible to edit the saved file (if necessary) and print it out for review
and reference. For downloading slip opinions, see the ABBS section of this manual.

5.A.8 Printing
All hardware-specific codes have been removed from the output sent to the screen. This has the
advantage that no matter what sort of printer or terminal/computer used, there should be few problems
printing the report. Note that form-feed codes (CTRL-L) are used to separate the pages. Often this
will automatically advance the printer to the next page, which is just what is desired. If not, edit and
paginate as necessary using any editor or word processor. The output is formatted for 80 columns so a
printer will be needed that can handle output at least that wide. Pagination is designed to be suitable for
standard 11-inch paper, so this will probably work with a printer being used "as is".
5.A.9 Connecting
The first step to dialing a court is to become familiar with the communication software package being
used. Most communication software packages have two dialing options. A user may manually dial a
court by using the communication software’s manual dial option. This will require the user to enter the
court’s modem number and settings each time the court is dialed. The PACER Service Center
recommends establishing a dialing directory with each court’s modem number and settings. This will
enable a user to more efficiently utilize the PACER system.

For assistance in manually dialing a court or setting up a dialing directory, refer to the communications
software manual for instructions.

5.A.10 Time Limits

There is an "idle time" limit (how long the user can just let it sit there before it complains) as well as a
"session time" limit (how long the session can last).

Session lengths vary as determined by the court. Permission to re-dial the service is allowed if more
time is necessary. In addition, the system will not allow a user to "do nothing" for over a predetermined
time by the individual court. A warning will be displayed when a limit is approaching.

5.A.11 Other Limits

Other limits on what is available from this system may be possible as designed by the court. Also, there
are limits built in as to the maximum number of people and cases allowed to be matched at one time.
This should not be a problem if a fairly complete name is entered and searching by extremely common

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litigant names is avoided.

5.A.12 Exiting
It is crucial to exit properly from the PACER system to avoid accruing extraneous charges. To exit
properly use the “exit” or “logoff” option from the court’s main menu. A “Hot Key Exit” may also be
used for all courts except those identified as NIBS courts. The “Hot Key Exit” is a <Ctrl X>
combination that should work at all points within PACER.

5.A.13 Getting Answers to Questions

If there are questions about the information the court is providing (how far back does the data go, how
long does it take a motion filed to appear on this system, or a question about a docket entry) contact
the court directly. To access a court currently not registered with, contact the PACER Service Center
or visit “Account Information” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov to add the court.

Neither the PACER Service Center nor the court has the resources to provide extensive technical
assistance for trouble with a PC communicating or other problems. Please contact the vendor or local
systems technician if basic difficulties are occurring using a terminal or computer equipment.

5.B U.S. Party/Case Index (Dial-Up)

Electronic public access services have rapidly expanded throughout the federal judiciary in the past few
years. The public demand for these services has increased, both in terms of the number of registrants
and the amount of actual usage. Several hundred registrants regularly review large numbers of cases in
many jurisdictions. Some of these registrants, in particular organizations tracking regional or national
bankruptcy, civil or criminal litigation have requested more efficient methods to retrieve case information
from multiple court jurisdictions. In response to this need, the Judiciary created the U.S. Party/Case
Index. The modem numbers for the U.S. Party/Case Index are (800)974-8896 or (210)301-6499.

The U.S. Party/Case Index is a national index for the United States appellate, district and bankruptcy
courts. Subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index
each night. The index serves as a locator index for the users of the federal judiciary Electronic Public
Access services. Therefore, a nationwide search will determine whether or not a party is involved in
federal litigation. Detailed information on cases found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, may
be accessed by dialing into the PACER system for the particular jurisdiction where the case is located.

5.B.1 All Courts Are Not Available on the U.S. Party/Case Index
Not all federal courts participate in the U.S. Party/Case Index. The non-participating courts are listed
under "Courts Not Included on Index" option on the Index’s main menu. These courts do not have data
available on the U.S. Party/Case Index. For a complete nationwide search, those courts need to be
searched individually. The list of non-participating courts found on the Index is updated nightly.

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5.B.2 Information Currency
Each night subsets of data are collected from each court and transferred to the U.S. Party/Case Index.
However, information is not retrieved from all courts. Therefore, it is pertinent to review the “Date
Ranges of Information Provided” option from the Index’s main menu because not all the courts are up
to date. This is especially true for court systems the PACER Service Center no longer supports.

5.B.3 Search Capability

The U.S. Party/Case Index will allow users to search nationwide by case number, party name or social
security number in the bankruptcy index; case number, party name and/or nature of suit in the civil
index; case number or defendant name in the criminal index; and case number, party name and/or
nature of suit in the appellate index. Each hit produced from a search will give the party name, the court
where the case is filed, the case number, and the filing date.

5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases

To access information on a particular case found while searching the U.S. Party/Case Index, such as a
copy of the docket, dial into the particular court's PACER machine where the case is located. If a user
pre-registered with each court, then the user’s login and password issued for the U.S. Party/Case
Index should work on each court's dial-in PACER machine. To register for additional courts, either
contact the PACER Service Center or visit “Account Information” at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov and
register on-line.

5.B.5 Saving Information

The U.S. Party/Case Index will allow users to view, print, capture or download search results. While
viewing the information online, print screens may be performed to receive hard copies of the
information; however, the PACER Service Center does not recommend this method. The print option
will direct the entire output to a slave printer. This option will not function properly if the print jobs are
directed to a network printer.

Capturing or downloading is a much more efficient way to save the information retrieved during
searches on the U.S. Party/Case Index.

To capture information follow these procedures.

1. At the prompt to “[v]iew, [p]rint, [c]capture, [d]ownload or [q]uit:”, turn the capture to
disk or capture to printer feature on. This is a function of the communications software.

2. Enter “c” and press the <Enter> key. All the information requested will scroll on the
screen. At the same time the communications software being used will save the information
to disk or send it directly to the printer depending on what was chosen.

3. When the information has stopped scrolling, give the command to turn off the capture.

4. To view the information saved to disk, exit the U.S. Party/Case Index and disconnect the
phone line. On the PC, open the file the information was saved to in a text editor or
wordprocessor. Editing or printing the information can be performed from there. This is all

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 done offline, thus significantly reducing the cost.

To download the information:

1. At the prompt to “[v]iew, [p]rint, [c]capture, [d]ownload or [q]uit:”, enter “d” and press the
<Enter> key.

2. A prompt will be given of “download using [x]modem or [z]modem, or [q]uit”. Type the
appropriate letter for the protocol being used to download the file and press the <Enter>
key.

3. Invoke the receive command of the communications software.

4. To view the information downloaded, exit the U.S. Party/Case Index and disconnect the
phone line. On the PC, open the file the information was saved to in a text editor or
wordprocessor. Editing or printing the information can be performed from there. This is all
done offline, thus significantly reducing the cost.

5.B.6 Printing
When using the print option of the U.S. Party/Case Index, all hardware-specific codes have been
removed from the output. The advantage to this is no matter what sort of printer or terminal/computer
used, there should be few problems printing the report. The output is formatted to be suitable for
standard 8.5" x 11" paper. The print option of the U.S. Party/Case Index will not work if the default
printer being used is a network printer. One of the other methods of saving the information will need to
be used.

5.B.7 How to Access the System

5.B.7.1 Connecting
To use this system, just follow the steps in this checklist.

1. Set up Equipment -- Follow the standard startup procedure for the PC. Make sure the
modem is turned on and plugged in to the computer and telephone line. Users must
communicate at 9600 or faster baud, 8 data bits, one stop bit, and no parity with vt100 terminal
emulation. This standard setup may already be the default for the system.

2. Dial the U.S. Party/Case Index Number -- Use the modem to dial the U.S. Party/Case
Index public access system: (800) 676-6856 or (210) 301-6499, if residing in the San Antonio
area. A login prompt shortly after the connection is made should be received. If the login
prompt does not appear after connection, hit the <enter> key or send a break.

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3. Log In -- Enter the user name and password provided by the PACER Service Center.
Logins should be entered in lower case letters.

5.B.7.2 What Appears After a Successful Login

1. The following notice will be displayed upon a successful login. Read the notice and press the
<Enter>
key.
************************* N O T I C E ************************
THIS SYSTEM IS FOR THE USE OF AUTHORIZED USERS ONLY.
Individuals using this computer system without authority, or in excess of their
authority, are subject to having all of their activities on this system monitored
and recorded by system personnel.

In the course of monitoring individuals improperly using this system, or in the

course of system maintenance, the activities of authorized users may also be
monitored.

Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised
that if such monitoring reveals possible evidence of criminal activity, system
personnel may provide the evidence of such monitoring to law enforcement
officials.
************************************************************
(EOF)Acknowledge Notice >

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2. A message of the day will be displayed. Read the message and press the <Enter> key. The billing
clock will begin at this point.

3. A client code option will be given. The client code entered will appear on the statement.

PACER SERVICE CENTER

U.S. PARTY/CASE INDEX
Main Information Menu

4. The 1) Bankruptcy Information Menu

following 2) Civil Information Menu
main 3) Criminal Information Menu
menu will 4) Appellate Court Information Menu
appear: 5) All Courts Information Menu
6) Date Ranges of the Information Provided
7) Court Code List
8) Courts Not Included on Index
9) Message Center
10) General Information and Bulletins
11) Review Billing History
12) Change Your Password

99) Exit

Your selection->

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5. Select a menu item by typing the appropriate number and pressing the <Enter> key.

5.B.7.3 Name Searches

There are two types of name searches in the U.S. Party/Case Index. The first is a name search for a
party exactly as it is typed with a wildcard at the end (For example, searching “mitchell, j” could find all
the parties that begin with mitchell, j such as “mitchell, james; mitchell, jill; and mitchell, john). The
second is a keyword name search which wildcards both the beginning and the end of the name (For
example, searching “chevrolet” could find all the parties that have chevrolet anywhere in the name such
as “bill smith chevrolet; chevrolet dealers association; and johnson chevrolet). The keyword search will
be much slower. A party name search will not be a keyword search unless specifically designated as
such in the menu.

It is imperative to search for the name the same way that it was originally entered by the docket clerk in
each court. Here are some ways to make searching by name easier.

In any court, there are a number of people who enter cases into the computer. There can be some
variations in how a name is entered. Therefore, several searches may be necessary to find a party of

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interest. For example, the United States Air Force could be entered in several ways:

• United States Air Force

• U.S. Air Force
• U.S.A.F.
• Air Force

It is possible to search the U.S. Party/Case Index using any of the parties in the case. However, names
which represent very active litigants (such as "USA") are not good choices. The solution is to use a
unique litigant to find the case of interest. If, for example, when searching for a case of John Q.
Watchburg vs. USA, search on the name "Watchburg" rather than on the too common "USA".

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5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the Country to Search
While performing searches, the U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be
search. All courts may be searched within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all courts
participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index.

A menu similar to the following with appear:

Courts to select:
1 FIRST CIRCUIT 22 GEORGIA 43 NEW MEXICO
2 SECOND CIRCUIT 23 HAWAII 44 NEVADA
3 THIRD CIRCUIT 24 IOWA 45 NEW YORK
4 FOURTH CIRCUIT 25 ILLINOIS 46 OHIO NORTHERN
5 FIFTH CIRCUIT 26 INDIANA 47 OKLAHOMA
6 SIXTH CIRCUIT 27 KANSAS 48 OREGON
7 SEVENTH CIRCUIT 28 KENTUCKY 49 PENNSYLVANIA
8 EIGHTH CIRCUIT 29 LOUISIANA 50 PUERTO
RICO
9 NINTH CIRCUIT 30 MASSACHUSETTS 51 RHODE ISLAND
10 TENTH CIRCUIT 31 MARYLAND 52 SOUTH CAROLINA
11 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT 32 MAINE 53 SOUTH DAKOTA
12 ALASKA 33 MICHIGAN 54 TENNESSEE
13 ALABAMA 34 MINNESOTA 55 TEXAS
14 ARKANSAS 35 MISSOURI 56 UTAH
15 ARIZONA 36 MISSISSIPPI 57 VIRGINIA
16 CALIFORNIA 37 MONTANA 58 VIRGIN ISLANDS
17 COLORADO 38 NORTH CAROLINA 59 VERMONT
18 CONNECTICUT 39 NORTH DAKOTA 60 WASHINGTON
19 DIST. OF COLUMBIA 40 NEBRASKA 61 WISCONSIN
20 DELAWARE 41 NEW HAMPSHIRE 62 WEST VIRGINIA
21 FLORIDA 42 NEW JERSEY 63 WYOMING
Search (A)ll or enter number corresponding to state or region, (h)elp:

To search all courts, type “a” at the selection prompt. To search all courts within a particular state (i.e.
Texas) type the number corresponding to the state and press <Enter> or type the state postal
abbreviation of the state to select (i.e. TX for Texas). To search all courts within a particular circuit
(i.e. First Circuit) type the number corresponding to a particular circuit and press <Enter>. Press “q”
and <Enter> to return to the selection prompt.

It is possible to customize a search for multiple states. List the number of each court with a space in
between each number to select multiple courts. For example, to search Louisiana, New Mexico, and
Texas type 29 43 55 and press <Enter>. It is not possible to search individual districts within a state

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using the dial-in U.S. Party/Case Index.

5.B.8 Searching
5.B.8.1 Bankruptcy Name or Social Security/TIN Search
5.B.8.1.1 Performing a Bankruptcy Name Search

1. Choose option “1) Bankruptcy Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the Bankruptcy Information Menu. For more information on
name searches see Section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches.

1) Party Name or SSN Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the end
of the name.
2) Party Name or SSN Search with Case Title - same as option one above but
displays case title with the results of the search.
3) Party Name Keyword Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the
beginning and the end of the name. This option is much slower than option number one.
4) Party Name Keyword Search with Case Title - same as option three above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type a name of a company or individual and press the <Enter> key at the prompt. The name
search is not case sensitive. Enter individual names in last name, first name format. Attorneys and
judges may not be searched using the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches for
more information.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search
may be run for all bankruptcy courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all courts
participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a portion of the Country to
Search for more information.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and
chapter for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXW for the Texas Western
Bankruptcy Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with

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the following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M
for middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). A court
code list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu. For more information on a
case from the list, you must dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See section 5.B.4 Getting
Additional Information on Cases.

5.B.8.1.2 Performing a Bankruptcy Social Security or Tax ID Number Search

1. Choose option “1) Bankruptcy Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the Bankruptcy Information Menu.

1) Party Name or SSN Search

2) Party Name or SSN Search with Case Title - same as option one above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type a social security or tax identification number at the prompt. Enter social security numbers in
XXX-XX-XXXX format. Enter tax identification numbers in XX-XXXXXX format. The dashes must
be entered. A partial social security number or tax identification number is acceptable but not
recommended.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search
may be run for all bankruptcy courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all courts
participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a portion of the Country to
Search for more information.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria have entered. The U.S.
Party/Case Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing
date, and chapter for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXW for the Texas Western
Bankruptcy Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with
the following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M
for middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). A court
code list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See
section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.2 Civil Name Search
1. Choose option “2) Civil Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the Civil Information Menu. For more information on name
searches see Section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches.

1) Party Name Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the end of the
name.
2) Party Name Search with Case Title - same as option one above but displays
case title with the results of the search.
3) Party Name Keyword Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the
beginning and the end of the name. This option is much slower than option number one.
4) Party Name Keyword Search with Case Title - same as option three above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type a name of a company or individual and press the <Enter> key at the prompt. The name
search is not case sensitive. Enter individual names in last name, first name format. Attorneys and
judges may not be searched using the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches for
more information.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search
may be run for all district courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all district
courts participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the
Country to Search for more information.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and
nature of suit for each hit. For a description of the NOS, refer to “6) Nature of Suit Code
Descriptions” from the civil information menu.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXW for the Texas Western District
Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for

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middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). A court code
list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See
section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

5.B.8.3 Civil Nature of Suit Search

1. Choose option “2) Civil Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose option “5) Nature of Suit Search” from the civil information menu. For a listing of NOS
descriptions, choose “6) Nature of Suit Code Descriptions” from the same menu.

3. To search a single nature of suit code enter the nature of suit number (i.e. 110) and press the
<Enter> key at the prompt. To search multiple nature of suit codes at one time place a space between
each code in a list and press the <Enter> key (i.e. 110 120 130). To search a range of nature of suit
codes place a dash between the beginning and end of the range (i.e. 110-130) and press the <Enter>
key.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search may
be run for all district courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all district courts
participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the Country to
Search for more information.

5. The search can be narrowed further by year. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for searching
the current year, the prior year, or all years. Type “c” for the current year, “p” for the prior year, or “a”
for all years and press <Enter>.

6. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and
nature of suit for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXW for the Texas Western District
Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for
middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). A court code
list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See

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section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.4 Criminal Name Search
1. Choose option “3) Criminal Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the Criminal Information Menu. For more information on name
searches see Section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches.

1) Party Name Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the end of the
name.
2) Party Name Search with Case Title - same as option one above but displays
case title with the results of the search.
3) Party Name Keyword Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the
beginning and the end of the name. This option is much slower than option number one.
4) Party Name Keyword Search with Case Title - same as option three above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type the criminal name and press the <Enter> key at the prompt. The name search is not case
sensitive. Enter individual names in last name, first name format. Attorneys and judges may not be
searched using the U.S. Party/Case index. See section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches for more information.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search
may be run for all district courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all district
courts participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the
Country to Search for more information.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and
offense for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXW for the Texas Western District
Court. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for
middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). A court code
list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See
section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.5 Appeals Name Search
1. Choose option “4) Appellate Court Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the Appellate court Information Menu. For more information
on name searches see Section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches.

1) Party Name Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the end of the
name.
2) Party Name Search with Case Title - same as option one above but displays
case title with the results of the search.
3) Party Name Keyword Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the
beginning and the end of the name. This option is much slower than option number one.
4) Party Name Keyword Search with Case Title - same as option three above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type a name of a company or individual and press the <Enter> key at the prompt. The name
search is not case sensitive. Enter individual names in last name, first name format. Attorneys and
judges may not be searched using the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches for
more information.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the circuit or circuits to be searched. A search may be
run for a circuit, several circuits, or all circuit courts participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, nature of
suit, and closing date for each hit. For a description of the NOS, refer to
“6) Nature of Suit Code Descriptions” from the appellate information menu.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like 06 for the Sixth Circuit Court of
Appeals. A court code list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See
section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.6 Appeals Nature of Suit Search
1. Choose option “4) Appellate Court Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose option “5) Nature of Suit Search” from the appellate court information menu. For a listing
of NOS descriptions, choose “6) Nature of Suit Code Descriptions” from the same menu.

3. To search a single nature of suit code enter the nature of suit number (i.e. 110) and press the
<Enter> key at the prompt. To search multiple nature of suit codes at one time place a space between
each code in a list and press the <Enter> key (i.e. 110 120 130). To search a range of nature of suit
codes place a dash between the beginning and end of the range (i.e. 110-130) and press the <Enter>
key.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the circuit or circuits to be searched. A search may be
run for a circuit, several circuits, or all circuit courts participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index.

5. The search can be narrowed further by year. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for searching
the current year, the prior year, or all years. Type “c” for the current year, “p” for the prior year, or “a”
for all years and press <Enter>.

6. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

7. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and
nature of suit for each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like 06 for the Sixth Circuit Court of
Appeals. A court code list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main menu.

For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine. See
section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.7 All Case Types Name Search
1. Choose option “5) All Courts Information Menu” from the main menu.

2. Choose the appropriate option from the All Courts Information Menu. For more information on
name searches see Section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches.

1) Party Name Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the end of the
name.
2) Party Name Search with Case Title - same as option one above but displays
case title with the results of the search.
3) Party Name Keyword Search - searches for a party name with a wildcard at the
beginning and the end of the name. This option is much slower than option number one.
4) Party Name Keyword Search with Case Title - same as option three above but
displays case title with the results of the search.

3. Type a name of a company or individual and press the <Enter> key at the prompt. The name
search is not case sensitive. Enter individual names in last name, first name format. Attorneys and
judges may not be searched using the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.3 Name Searches for
more information.

4. The U.S. Party/Case Index will prompt for the portion of the country to be searched. A search
may be run for all courts within a state, several states, a circuit, several circuits, or all courts
participating in the U.S. Party/Case Index. See section 5.B.7.4 Selecting a Portion of the Country to
Search for more information.

5. Once the search has been performed, a prompt will be given for how the data should be viewed.
The options will be to view data on the screen, send the data directly to a printer, scroll the data no-
stop in order to capture the information to a file, or download the data using X or Z protocol. See
section 5.B.5 Saving Information for more details about viewing, printing, capturing, and downloading.

6. The search will produce a list of cases that match the search criteria entered. The U.S. Party/Case
Index will display the party name, court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, and either
the chapter for bankruptcy cases or the nature of suit for civil cases on each hit.

The court in which the case is located will be an abbreviation like TXWDC for the Texas Western
District Court, TXWBK for the Texas Western Bankruptcy Court, or 06CA for the Sixth Circuit Court
of Appeals. The first two letters will be the postal abbreviation of the state the case is from with the
following letter indicating the district within the state (C for central district, E for eastern district, M for
middle district, N for northern district, S for southern district, and W for western district). The last two
letters will represent the type of court the case is filed in (BK for Bankruptcy, DC for District Court, or
CA for Court of Appeals). A court code list can be obtained from “7) Court Code List” from the main
menu. For more information on a case from the list, dial into that particular courts PACER machine.
See section 5.B.4 Getting Additional Information on Cases.

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5.B.8.8 Other Menu Items
5.B.8.8.1 Date Ranges of the Information Provided
This option will allow users to view, print or download the date ranges of the cases in each court. It
will specify how far back the search will go and the last time the U.S. Party/Case Index was updated
for each court.

5.B.8.8.2 Court Code List

This option will provide a list of the court abbreviations used by the U.S. Party/Case Index.

5.B.8.8.3 Courts Not Included on Index

This option will provide a list of the courts not included in the U.S. Party/Case Index at this time.

5.B.8.8.4 Message Center

This option provides a means by which messages can be sent to the System Administrator. Messages
can consist of problems, suggestions or anything which may be of interest. These messages will be
checked on a daily basis. In cases where a response is warranted, please include a name and phone
number. A message can also be emailed to the PACER Service Center at [email protected].

5.B.8.8.5 General Information and Bulletins

This option will provide announcements that may be of interest.

5.B.8.8.6 Review Billing History

This option will allow users to check the charges incurred to date on the U.S. Party/Case Index.

5.B.8.8.7 Change Your Password

This option will allow users to change a password in the U.S. Party/Case Index only.

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5.C PACER - U.S. District Courts (Dial-Up)
5.C.1 Understanding Case Numbers
Refer to 4.C.1.

5.C.2 Understanding Docket Reports

Refer to 4.C.2.

5.C.3 Understanding PACER District Court Release

The current version of District Court PACER will allow searches by case number, party name, or filing
date range. This system also provides an option for downloading by Kermit or Z modem protocol.
Except for the main menu, ENTER is not required after menu selections.

Please note: The Case Selection Screen will default to search by case number. Press
ENTER with no case number to be placed at the Search Method Selection prompt where you may
change to a different search method or exit to the PACER Main Menu.

5.C.4 Searching by Case Number

This version of PACER will initially prompt for a case number at a case searching screen. This screen is
used to enter a district court four part case number to start the search for a specific case’s docket
report. The four part case number consists of divisional office code, filing year, case type code and a
sequence number which may be up to five digits long. Only the year and sequential number are
mandatory. Examples of valid case numbers are as follows: 88-1347 -or- 1 93 cv 12345. If
a search is run with less than the full four parts and more than one case matches the criteria entered, a
pick list of cases will be given to select from.

In criminal cases with multiple defendants, there is a separate docket report for each individual
defendant plus a combined report for all defendants. If the defendant number of the individual party is
known, enter that number from this screen and bypass the defendant selection step (e.g., 1 95 m
623 3 -or- 1:96cr885-3).

Once the search criteria is entered and ENTER has been hit, one of the following five outcomes will
occur:

1. Case selected - A prompt will be given as to how to view the docket report.
2. Case pick list - A pick list of several cases that match the search criteria will be given.
3. Defendant pick list - If the search criteria matched a multiple defendant criminal case, a
list will be given to select the interested defendant or all defendants.
4. Case not found - The search criteria entered led to no matching stored case number.
The option to try again will be given from this selection screen.
5. Case number cannot be interpreted - Something in the way the case number was
entered is not understood by the program. The option to try again will be given from this

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 selection screen.

5.C.5 Searching by Party Name

At the Search Method Selection Screen hit ENTER to choose new search method (the default is case
number). Then, type “p” (DO NOT HIT ENTER) to search by party name. When searching by party
name, the result will be one of the five outcomes previously stated except number five which will be
“No matching party found”.

5.C.6 Searching by Filing Date

At the Search Method Selection Screen hit ENTER to choose new search method (the default is case
number). Then, type “f” (DO NOT HIT ENTER) to search by filing date. This will prompt for the
from date range first, then the to date range. The month, day and year may be separated by spaces or
slashes (e.g., 2 10 95 or 2-10-95 ). The search may be entered as month/day/year, month/year or year
as your from date or to date clue. If both a from and a to date are entered, all cases filed between
and including those dates will be sought. If only a from date is entered, then only that date is used for
the case search. If only a from year or a from month/year is entered, cases filed during the range of a
whole year or a whole month are sought. To retrieve cases filed on a specific date, enter the same
from and to date.

Generally, the narrower the date range for the search, the shorter the pick list will be. In order to not
scroll through large numbers of cases in the pick list, keep the search date ranges narrow.

When the search criteria is entered and ENTER is hit, the result will be one of the five outcomes
previously stated except number five will read “Filing date cannot be interpreted.”

5.C.7 Pick Lists

After a search has been performed a pick list will appear. A standardized set of menu keys may be
used to locate the exact defendant queryed. These keys are the same keys used when searching within
the View Docket Report explained later in this document. See SectionViewing Docket below.

5.C.7.1 Case Number and Party Name Pick Lists

The case number pick list appears in order by case number. A party name pick lists will be in
alphabetical order. To pick a specific case, use the scroll arrows to place the cursor on the desired
case and then press ENTER. If the case chosen is a multiple defendant criminal case, a prompt to
select a specific defendant will be given. Otherwise, depending on what is in the database, PACER
may display another pick list or the Docket Report Output Menu.

5.C.7.2 Filing Date Pick Lists

When a case filing date search yields more than one case, the Filing Date Case Pick List is displayed.
This list is in order by filing date and case number.

5.C.7.3 Defendant Pick Lists

When a criminal case requested has more than one defendant, the Defendant Pick List is displayed.

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This list is in order by defendant number. Aliases are included in this list and are treated the same way
as regular names for selection purposes. Duplicate defendant numbers indicate aliases of the same
individual. To pick a specific defendant use the scroll arrows to place the cursor on the desired
defendant and then press ENTER.

5.C.8 Viewing Docket

When the docket report has been found by the retrieval system, an option menu will be given providing
different ways to handle the report. The following is a brief explanation of the menu’s options:
View report
This option allows a means to scroll through the whole report. It features text searching and function keys
to go directly to the beginning or end of the report.
When either View report is chosen from the Docket Report Output Menu or a particular case is searched
from within a pick list, the following key commands will be available:
ESC - Escape back one screen
E - Return to the PACER Main Menu
F - Move forward one screen at a time.
B - Move backward one screen at a time
L - Prompts for line number to go to
Arrows-Up/Dn - Moves report forward or backward one line.
F1 will search backwards from the point of the cursor
F2 - Prompts for string search. Once a string to search has been entered, ENTER will search for the string
forward from the point of the cursor, F3 will clear the string and allow for another search to be made, and
ESC returns without searching.
F3 - Moves the cursor to the beginning of the report
F4 - Moves the cursor to the end of the report

View Recent entries

This option gives a quick display of the last twenty lines of the report. After choosing this option, a
prompt will be given to turn on the capture file.

View First twenty lines

This option displays the first twenty lines of docket report.

View Both first and last twenty lines

This options displays the first and last twenty lines of the report.

List report non-stop

This option will scroll the entire report across the screen. It may be useful for very short reports or when
capturing the session to disk storage or printer. After choosing this option, a prompt to turn on the capture
file will be given.

Download directly to disk file

This option provides the means to transmit the docket report file directly to the PC’s disk storage.

Mark for later download to disk file

This provides a means to indicate a report file to be downloaded once searches are completed. Report files
marked for download will be handled when exiting back to the PACER Main Menu. This option is similar to
the Download option above with two exceptions:

1. A name prompt screen will appear for each file marked.

2. All criminal defendant reports marked for download, which are in the same case, will be grouped into one
file.

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ESCape
Hit escape to go back to the previous pick list or screen.

Exit
This option returns to the PACER Main Menu.

5.C.9 Downloading
The download menu appears when:
1. the D option from the Docket Report Output Menu is selected, or
2. exiting to the PACER Main Menu and have indicated to download previously marked
docket reports.

The choice is given of saving the file to a PC’s disk with a system default name created from the case
number or entering a self created file name. Also, there is the option of pressing ESCAPE and not
downloading the report file.

If more than one criminal defendant report in the same case has been marked for later downloading, the
reports for that case will be grouped together into one file for downloading. To get separate files for
each individual defendant in a criminal case, use the D option on the Docket Report Output Menu and
enter unique names for each report file.

When one of the following messages is displayed on the screen, invoke the communications software’s
command to receive a file:

Saving file as: ************

File transfer protocol: KERMIT
Now invoke your communications software's command to receive a file.

The various communications software packages each have their own special command set. A user
will need to be familiar with the communications software they are employing. PACER uses the
Kermit or Z Modem file transfer protocol for downloading.

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5.D U.S. Bankruptcy Courts (Dial-Up)
5.D.1 Understanding BANCAP Case Numbers
When first accessing a court, a new user may not be familiar with the two-part bankruptcy case
numbers used. All cases opened in a given year have the last two digits of the year as the first part of
the case number followed by an ascending sequence number. Some courts have more specific
protocols for assigning case numbers. Contact the court for information on court-specific numbering
schemes.

5.D.2 Understanding BANCAP Reports

5.D.2.1 BANCAP Reports
After connecting to PACER and entering the proper identification (id) and password, a menu will
appear listing the type of reports available in this court. The following is a sample* menu:

1. Active Cases (basic case info., dockets, & registry of claims)

2. Listing of New Cases
3. Registry of Claims Only, by Claimant Name or Case Number
4. Closed Cases (Archives - basic case information only)
5. (Additional Listings & Services)
6. Exit (logout)
*Information may vary depending on individual courts

The following is a brief summary of the various options, which are available on the Main Public Access
Menu:

1. Active Cases (Basic Case Info., Dockets & Registry of Claims)

Provides options for pending and recently-closed cases, which comprise the BANCAP
"LIVE" Data Base, to select by case number or participant name to gather case summary
information and/or the last 3 months of case events (i.e., docket proceedings) and/or proofs
of claims data.

2. Listing of New Cases

Provides a listing, sorted by case number or by debtor's name, of recently-filed cases,

which were opened on the BANCAP "LIVE" or "MEGA" Data Bases on the previous
business day. NOTE: In the [V]iew option, press SPACE BAR to scroll

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 forward.

3. Registry of Claims

Provides options for pending and recently-closed cases, which comprise the BANCAP
"LIVE" Data Base, to select by case number or participant name to gather proofs-of-claims
information.

4. Closed Cases (Archives - Basic Case Info. Only)

Provides options for cases, closed at least 2 months, which comprise the BANCAP
"ARCHIVE" Data Base, to select by case number or participant name to gather case
summary information and Federal Records Center information.

5. Miscellaneous Menu

A. Change Password

Provides Pacer users the ability to change their password within the specific court being
accessed.

B. Session Information

Provides a breakdown of the Pacer access sessions for a given period of time.

5.D.2.2 Sample Active Case Option

The active case option asks three questions (see example below); if docket entries or the registry of
claims is to be accessed, respond "y" to the first question about basic case information. These reports
were designed to provide concise standard summaries of the official case record; however, not all the
case docket entries necessarily appear. The court controls how many months of docket entries are
available on PACER. The following is a sample session:

Enter name or number (RETURN to quit)

-> 9030234

Case 90-30234 was last updated on 6/22/90

Would you like case information for 90-30234 (y/n)? y

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Would you like to see the docket proceedings (y/n)? y
As of [date], there has been a total of [number] claims entered into the computer for this case.
Would you like to see the registry of claims (y/n) y

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5.E NIBS - National Integrated Bulletin Board System (Dial-
Up)

5.E.1 What is NIBS?

NIBS (National Integrated Bankruptcy System) allows outside access to a bankruptcy court's
computer system for information retrieval only. The system will provide information on bankruptcy or
adversary cases. Also available are claims registers, court calendars, and attorney information. To
look up information on a case, call the office where the case was filed. NIBS and BANCAP PACER
provide similar information. A bankruptcy court will provide electronic public access with one but not
both.

Note: In the Directory of Public Access Services' listing of U.S. Bankruptcy Courts available on the Internet at
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pubaccess.html, NIBS courts are designated in the "Additional Court Info" column.
Section 5.D of this manual will apply only to those courts designated as NIBS.

5.E.2 Settings
Standard settings for PC software are: 8 Data bits, No parity, 1 Stop bit, RTS/CTS or NONE for
Flow Control and a 9600 Baud or faster modem.

Note: A 9600 baud or faster modem is recommended. If a 9600 Baud modem is used, it must be V.32 compatible. For
those using PC's, we recommend using a terminal emulation package, preferably PCANYWHERE IV REMOTE.
Procomm, Crosstalk, Smartcom, and Bitcom can be used, they appear to work best in VT100 emulation mode.

The following terminal emulations are acceptable:

1: pcAnywhere IV 11: Falco FAME III 21: Soroc

2: Ampex 230 12: Hazeltine 1500 22: Tektronix
3: ADDS Regent 13: Hewlett-Packard 23: Teleray
4: ADDS Viewpoint 14: IBM 3101 24: Televideo
5: ANSI Standard 15: Kaypro 25: Visual V330 (DG)
6: Beehive 4/78/DMS 16: Kimtron KT-7 PC 26: VT 100/200
7: Dasher D410/D460 17: Link PCTERM 27: Wyse
8: DEC VT-52 18: LSI ADM 3A 28: Zenith Z-19
9: Dig Microsystems 19: Prime PST100 29: Zenith Z-29
10: Esprit III 20: Qume (102/108) 30: ATERM or OnLan PC

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5.E.3 Steps to Getting Access Using NIBS

1. In some NIBS courts, there will be an additional password that must be entered first. This password
is available from the PACER Service Center “Modem Numbers” listing at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
.

2. Choose the terminal emulation from the list provided. Enter the number corresponding to the type of
terminal, or terminal emulation, being used and press the <Enter> key. Most software programs will be
set to VT100; therefore, the best option to use would be 26: VT 100/200. If numbers 2 to 29 are
used, see the following special key sequences:

ESC <ESC><ESC> HOME <ESC><H>

UP ARROW <ESC><U> END <ESC><E>
DN ARROW <ESC><D> PGUP <ESC><P>
LEFT ARROW <ESC><L> PGDN <ESC><N>
RIGHT ARROW <ESC><R>

Refer to these commands if the communication software package being used does not support the use
of the <ESC>, <PgDn>, <PgUp>, <Arrows>, <Home> or <End> Keys. The only condition is that
the <ESC> key used by the communications package will need to reset.

3. The welcome screen will now be displayed. After reading the screen, press any key to continue.

4. The billing information screen will then be displayed. Please enter the given login ID provided by the
PACER Service Center.

5. A prompt for the assigned password will then be given. Please enter the given password provided
by the PACER Service Center and hit ENTER.

6. At this point, an option to enter in up to 12 characters for a client code to describe the session will
be provided. This client code will be included on the billing statement. A case number or name may be
useful, if entered, for in house billing. Also the name of the person accessing the system may be entered
for in house tracking of usages.

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7. Strike a key and after a few moments, the NIBS System main menu screen will be given. A typical
NIBS Main Menu* will be similar to the following:

A) Search by Case Number

B) Search by Adversary Number
C) Search by Party Name
D) Search by SSN/TAX #
E) Search for Professional
F) Judges' Calendar
G) Change Client ID
Q) Quit and Log Out

*Main menus and options available will vary widely from court to court. This menu is based on the Arizona
Bankruptcy Court’s Brass system.

8. Enter the letter for the option needed.

5.E.4 Main Menu Options

5.E.4.1 Search for Bankruptcy by Case Number

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Search by Case Number". The user will be
prompted to type the case number.

When viewing docket entries, the starting item number relates to the first entry to be displayed/printed
on the docket. The ending item number relates to the last entry to be displayed/printed on the docket.
Any number range can be displayed/printed.

5.E.4.2 Search for Adversary by Adversary Number

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Search by Adversary Number". The user will
be prompted to type the adversary number.

5.E.4.3 Search for Bankruptcy or Adversary by Party Name

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Search by Party Name"(the whole name does
not need to be entered). Press <Enter>. An alphabetical list of names will appear. Type the letter of
the desired case. The following options are available from the name listing:

PgUp View the previous screen of names (alphabetically listed).

PgDn View the next screen of names (alphabetically listed).

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 Esc Will return to the main menu.

5.E.4.4 Search for Bankruptcy Party Name by Social Security or Tax ID

Number
Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Search by Social Security or Tax ID Number".
Type the social security or tax id number (dashes do not need to be entered) and press <Enter>.

If only one match is found, the cover sheet will automatically display. If more than one match is found,
choose from the list displayed on the screen.

5.E.4.5 Search for Attorney/Trustee/Professional Address/Phone

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Search for Professional". Type up to 11 letters
of the last name. Press <Enter>. An alphabetical list will be displayed. Use PgUp and PgDn to move
alphabetically through the listing.

5.E.4.6 Display Judges' Calendar

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Judges' Calendar". Type in the initials of the
judge and/or the desired date.

5.E.4.7 Change Client ID

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Change Client ID". A screen will be displayed
that will allow the user to change the "client id" during the session without hanging up.

5.E.4.8 Quit and Log Out

Select the letter from the main menu corresponding to "Exit". The log in time and log out time as well
as the total length of the session will be displayed on the screen.

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5.F ABBS - Appellate Bulletin Board System (Dial-Up)

ABBS is a nationally standard appellate bulletin board designed to bring current court information
electronically. The standard set up for accessing ABBS is as follows: 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity,
full duplex with vt100 terminal emulation.

5.F.1 Selecting Files

Select a file by entering the corresponding letter(s) from the far left column. To select more than one
file on the screen, enter the letters consecutively, i.e. abcd. Ctrl-K at any time for download/viewing
options.

5.F.2 Opinions
Opinions are posted to ABBS the minute they are available to the public. Opinions are available in both
ASCII and wordprocessor formats. It is possible to list newly issued opinions, select opinions by case
number, search on a specific string of characters or see a list of opinions by case type (Opinions menu).
There will also be an option to view the long or short descriptions for cases (User Options menu, B
opinion Description Toggle).

5.F.3 Docket Sheets

Docket sheet information is up-to-the-minute. All current information that is available to the public can
be retrieved. A search can be run by a case number or the name of any party/attorney in the case. If
there are questions about something on the docket sheet or a filing in a case, contact the Clerk's Office
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit which is being accessed.

5.F.4 Other Information

ABBS also has other information, aside from Opinions and Docket Sheets, that may be of interest.
Items are available in both ASCII and WordPerfect 5.1 formats, unless otherwise noted. All of these
items can be viewed or downloaded.

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The system is available on a 24 hour a day basis, 7 days a week. The only exceptions to this are: 1)
while new opinions are being posted; and 2) during system backup.

5.F.5 Menu Options

The following is a list of menu options available through ABBS:

5.F.5.1 Opinions Menu

A and B Batch download all of today's opinions
C and D Batch download a group of opinions selected by case number
E View a list of today's opinions and select files to be downloaded
F Select opinions by case number to download
G View a list of opinions starting from a specified date, or all of the available
opinions
H Search for a particular set of characters, i.e. Arkansas. REMEMBER, If the
toggle option was used to see long descriptions (see User Options,) only search
for words that may appear in the full description of the case. Today's Opinions
or the entire list of opinions can be viewed by searching with case type
(criminal, civil and prisoner).
J You can download a listing of available opinions. Several lists are available,
i.e.long and short descriptions as well as case type.

5.F.5.2 Records Menu

A Select docket sheets by case number to view or download.
B Select docket sheets by a range of case numbers to view or download.
C Select docket sheets for cases in which a party or attorney name is specified.
D View or download any court notices.
E View or download the Local Rules, Internal Operating Procedures or Plan to Expedite
Criminal Appeals
F View or download the current Court calendar.
G View or download any correction to a previously posted opinion, orders amending an
opinion, or a document listing current pending rehearing requests and those recently
ruled upon.
H View or download court reports.
I View or download Supreme Court information.

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 J View or download the clerk's monthly Clerk's Chronicles and any related material.

5.F.5.3 User Options

A Toggle the ansi/vt100 terminal emulation on or off. This toggle will only remain in effect
until logged off.
B Toggle to view the long case description. This toggle will only remain in effect until
logged off.
C Toggle to expert mode. Confirmation will not be required to selection by case number,
a yes is assumed. This toggle will only remain in effect until logged off.
E Leave a comment to the system administrator.
G View the new user message.
H View the initial welcome message.

5.G Using PACER, NIBS, ABBS - Dial-In Bulletin Board

Systems
5.G.1 Connecting
To use this system, just follow the steps in this checklist.

1. Set up Equipment -- Follow the standard startup procedure for the PC. Make sure the
modem is turned on and plugged in to the computer and telephone line. The user must
communicate at 9600 or faster baud, 8 data bits, one stop bit, and no parity, with a few
exceptions; this standard setup may already be the default for system being used.

2. Dial the Court's Computer Number -- Use the modem to dial the courts public access
system. A login prompt shortly after the connection is made should be received. If the login
prompt does not appear after connection, hit the <enter> key or send a break.

3. Log In -- Enter the user name and password provided by the PACER Service Center.
Logins should be entered in lower case letters.

4. Select a case or menu item as appropriate.

5.G.2 Hanging Up the Phone Connection

Please remember that your equipment is responsible for closing the communications with the PACER
system when you are through using it. In some PC environments, such as Windows, it is possible to go
from one project to another without hanging up a COM line connection. If you do switch to another
activity and the PACER system encounters some problem, your phone line could still be engaged. If
this were a toll call, the “meter” might stay running on your call long after you thought your session was

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complete. Please be sure that at the end of each session you go back to the main menu and choose the
logoff option then hang up the line on your end.

5.H Courts with Special Requirements

5.H.1 California Central Bankruptcy Courts
The U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for Los Angeles(CACBK-LA), San Fernando Valley(CACBK-SFV),
Riverside(CACBK-RS), Santa Ana(CACBK-SA), and Santa Barbara (CACBBK-SB), have
upgraded their PACER systems to a browser-based format called webPACER.

The easiest way to access these courts is to download the webPACER program from the California
Central Bankruptcy Court’s Web site. Visit them at http://www.cacb.uscourts.gov . Once there, go
into webPACER Information and download the program. The PACER Service Center highly
recommends following the instructions in the Install README.TXT file. Also, it
would be extremely beneficial to print out and read through the FAQs.

If attempts to download the webPACER program are unsuccessful, follow the instructions provided
below for setting up Dial-Up Networking.

To setup and access webPACER, you must have either Windows 95/98.

1) Click "Start."
2) Go to "Programs."
3) Go to "Accessories."
4) Click on "Dial-Up Networking."
5) Click "Make New Connection."
6) Enter the court code for the webPACER system you are setting up (CACBK-LA,

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 CACBK-SFV, CACBK-RS, CACBK-SA, or CACBK-SB) in the first box and the modem
number in the second.

Enter:
1-800-257-3887 or 1-213-620-0031 for CACBK-LA,
1-800-838-2479 or 1-818-587-2802 for CACBK-SFV,
1-888-819-0233 or 1-909-276-2914 for CACBK-RS,
1-888-819-0232 or 1-714-338-5406 for CACBK-SA, or
1-888-819-0231 or 1-805-884-4806 for CACBK-SB.

Click "Next."

7) Click "Finish."

This has now created an entry called either CACBK-LA, CACBK-SFV, CACBK-RS, CACBK-SA,
or CACBK-SB. Right click on mouse to highlight it and bring up the "Properties" menu.

8) Go to "Server Type" and click it.

9) Make sure the Dial-Up Server is "PPP:Windows 95, Windows NT 3.5, Internet."
10) Click ON "Enable Software Compression" and "TCP/IP."
11) Click OFF "Log onto Network," "Require Encrypted Password," "NetBEUI" and
"IPX/SPX Compatible."
12) Click "TCP/IP Settings."
13) Turn ON "Server assigned IP address," if it is not already ON.
15) Click OK.
16) Click OK.
17) Click OK.

A Dial-Up Networking Icon for connecting to CACBK-LA, CACBK-SFV, CACBK-RS, CACBK-

SA, or CACBK-SB systems has been created.

ACCESSING WEB PACER:

1) Double click on the icon set up for CACBK-LA, CACBK-SFV, CACBK-RS, or
CACBK-SA.
2) Enter your login ID in the “User Name” prompt. Hit tab. Enter your password in the space
provided.
3) Click on "Connect."

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 4) After connection has been made, minimize the "Connected to ..." box.
5) Open the browser (either a Netscape 3.x and above or Internet Explorer v3.x and above).
6) In the Address/Location space, enter either
156.131.137.252 for CACBK-LA,
156.131.45.56 for CACBK-SFV,
156.131.39.252 for CACBK-RS,
156.131.41.252 for CACBK-SA, or
156.131.43.252 for CACBK-SB.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS:
1) The modem number and the IP address must correspond with the specified court being
accessed.
2) Proxy must be turned off.
3) Enter both login and password in lower case letters

5.H.2 Alabama Northern Bankruptcy Courts

The Alabama Northern Bankruptcy Courts are accessible using the ICA Citrix Client Software. This is
a free software program that can be downloaded from either the Citrix web site at
http://www.citrix.com or from the Alabama Bankruptcy Court’s web site at
http://www.alnb.uscourts.gov under the “Public Access.” There are also Installation Instructions at this
same site. The PACER Service Center highly recommends following the instructions for the installation.

Note: Users will be permitted 30 minutes of access time per session. Calls will be terminated
automatically after 3 minutes of inactivity on the caller's PC.

Unfortunately, the court or the PACER Service Center do not have the resources to provide assistance
concerning installation and configuration problems with software and modems.

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5.J Tips For Electronic Access
There are a number of ways this public information program can be used to rapidly obtain needed
information. Here are some special features and techniques which can save time and effort.

5.J.1 Case Number Wildcarding

With PACER, the four parts of the case "number" (office, year, type, and number) are not needed; only
year and number are required. The system will access the case or cases which match the numbers
entered, listing the choices for further selection.

For example, if case "88-12345" is needed, just type it in to the system as shown. If there is more than
one case with that year/number (for example, with different office codes, or with different types), each
will be listed for further identification.

5.J.2 Litigant Analysis

This system can be used to learn more about other cases involving the same party. For example, if
working on a suit against XYZ Corporation, a search of the corporate name can be done to discover if
anyone else is currently involved in a case with the same company.

5.J.3 Searching By Name

The PACER system will search for a party* in many ways. It is helpful if the name is requested the
same way that it was entered on the computer. Here are some ways to make this easier.

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*Note: Attorneys and judges may not be searched using the PACER system. Attorneys may be searched while
using the ABBS system.

In any court, there are a number of people who actually enter cases into the computer. Because of this,
there can be some variations in how a name actually is entered, and several searches may be necessary
to find a party of interest. For example, the United States Air Force could be entered in several ways*:

• United States Air Force

• U.S. Air Force
• U.S.A.F.
• Air Force

*Note: Because PACER is not case sensitive, the use of capitals or lower-case letters is possible .

5.J.4 Common Names

It is possible to look up a case with PACER using any of the parties in the case. However, names
which represent very active litigants (such as "USA") are not a very good choice to search with. If
using a party who is in too many cases, the system will spend a minute or two searching, and eventually
state that too many cases were selected.

The solution is to use a more unique litigant to find the case of interest. If, for example, accessing a
case of John Q. Watchburg vs. USA, do the search on the name "Watchburg" rather than on the too
common "USA".

5.J.5 Directory of Electronic Public Access Services

A directory of all the electronic services provided by the U.S. Judiciary is available on the Internet at
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pubaccess.html.

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