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CM/ECF and PACER Overview

In October of 2003, the United States District Court of Connecticut converted all existing case data to the new system, Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF). This section provides an overview on CM/ECF and PACER. CM/ECF is unique to each district whereas as PACER is not specific to the District of Connecticut. In PACER, all appellate, bankruptcy, and district court cases can be queried. CM/ECF is administered locally by the CM/ECF Administrator whereas PACER is administered through the Pacer Service Center. Documents are filed in CM/ECF and can be viewed and printed through PACER.

Before filing in CM/ECF, filers should review the Privacy Policy for the District Court of Connecticut. Pursuant to FRcvP 5.2(h) and FRcrP 49.1(h), protection under FRcvP 5.2(a) and FRcrP 49.1(a) is waived by filing documents with personal identifiers without redaction and not under seal.

For information regarding filings prior to October 2003, that are not on the docket in CM/ECF, please visit our Federal Records Center page.

CM/ECF

Case Management/Electronic Case Filing

The Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system is a comprehensive case management system for the District of Connecticut. CM/ECF allows courts to accept filings over the internet, which immediately updates the docket. CM/ECF keeps out-of-pocket expenses low, gives concurrent access to case files by multiple parties, and offers search and reporting capabilities. All eFiled documents must contain either an electronic signature(s) or a scanned image of a signature(s). Please see Section XI B of the Electronic Filing Policies and Procedures for more information on signatures.

In order to file documents electronically, attorneys must be admitted to practice before the Court and must be registered to file electronically. Upon registration, attorneys will be provided with an identification name and password that will allow access to the system. The identification name and password will also serve as the attorney's signature for FRCvP Rule 11 purposes on all documents that are filed electronically. Attorneys may register for electronic filing by submitting a registration form which is available on the eFiling section of the Forms page of the website.

In April of 2011, the District of Connecticut implemented pay.gov, which works in conjunction with CM/ECF to allow attorneys to pay the filing fee for new Civil Complaints, Motions to Appear Pro Hac Vice, Notices of Appeal, Notices of Removal, Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Petitions to Quash IRS Summons, as well as Motion to Quash Foreign Subpoena and/or for a Protective Order, Motion to Compel, and Application for Letter Rogatory/Discovery Pursuant to 28 USC 1782. Pay.gov is a secure web-based application, which allows users to submit payments online to government agencies electronically. For more information, please visit our For Attorneys section.

If you would like access CM/ECF training, please send an email to QualityControl@ctd.uscourts.gov

For hands on training modules, attorneys, support staff, and pro se litigants can click here: District Court CM/ECF Computer-Based Training Modules (Training for eFilers).

PACER

Public Access to Court Electronic Records

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from federal appellate, district and bankruptcy courts, and the PACER Case Locator via the internet. PACER is provided by the federal Judiciary in keeping with its commitment to providing public access to court information via a centralized service.

Consistent with Judicial Conference policy, courts may, upon a showing of good cause, exempt indigents, bankruptcy case trustees, individual researchers associated with educational institutions, courts, section 501(c)(3) not for profit organizations, courts appointed pro bono attorneys, and pro bona ADR neutrals from a payment of PACER fees. Exemptions may be granted for a definite period of time and may be revoked at the discretion of the court granting the exemption.

Attorneys are automatically exempt from payment of electronic public access fees for work on CJA cases. You may contact the PACER service center at 1-800-676-6856 or through the internet at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/ to establish an exempt account, which may only be used for work related to services rendered under the CJA.

CM/ECF users must obtain a PACER account. Recent enhancements to the Court's CM/ECF system now requires that users have a PACER account in addition to their CM/ECF identification name and password to access documents. Users who do not have a PACER account will not be able to view or retrieve docket sheets or documents. For PACER access and online registration, please click here. For PACER subscription information please call (800) 676-6856 or (210) 301-6440. To register for a PACER account, click here.

Case Assignment Policy

Central Violations Bureau (CVB)

The Central Violations Bureau (CVB) is a national center charged with processing violation notices (tickets) issued and payments received for petty offenses and misdemeanors committed on federal property.

Looking to Pay a Violation Notice Received on Federal Property?

If you have received a violation notice (ticket) for an offense committed on federal property (e.g., ona militarybase, nationalpark, federalbuilding, etc.),use thefollowing federalJudiciary website https://www.cvb.uscourts.gov to make paying fines easier.

The new website now has:

  • Mobile-friendly design,
  • Online payment form integrated with pay.gov,
  • Optimized searching,
  • Interactive frequently asked questions, and
  • New accessibility tools.

The website, along with all violation notice processing, is managed for the Judiciary by its Central Violations Bureau, or CVB. This national center processes tickets issued, and payments received for offenses committed on federal property, or for violations of federal law that occur elsewhere. The website includes information on mandatory or optional appearances in court and expected court dates.

*All inquiries related to specific CVB matters should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Putnam 203-696-3000.