Procedural Information & Access to Public Records

Guidelines Regarding Public Information

The Office of the Clerk of District Court wants to provide the public with information about the Court and its business. These guidelines were developed by the State Board of Judicial Policy and Administration. They are not all-inclusive and are intended as guidelines to assist both this office and the public when communicating about court business.

The Office of the Clerk of District Court will strive to:

• Provide specific information about court business using non-confidential court records as a source of information.
• Answer questions about court scheduling and case deadlines.
• Explain what it costs to file a case and how court fees and costs are assessed and paid.
• Explain other basic court procedures in a neutral and impartial way.
• Provide copies of non-confidential court records to authorized parties in return for a reasonable fee.
• Provide forms approved by the Court for court business at a reasonable fee.
• Encourage citizens to contact an attorney or direct them to a court-approved attorney referral system.

The Office of the Clerk of District Court will avoid:

• Expressing any opinion about the merits, strengths, or weaknesses of any specific case.
• Expressing any opinion about how any particular case, or group of cases, may turn out.
• Providing any confidential or sealed information to anyone other than an approved party of record or counsel without prior written court authorization.
• Suggesting or advising what anyone should or should not say in court.
• Drafting pleadings or filling out forms for anyone.
• Helping any person speak with the Judge about their case outside of court.
• Referring any person to a specific attorney or law firm except when the referral is made through a court-approved pro bono referral program.