Civil Case Files at El Cajon Courthouse Available on Internet Starting February

Starting Feb. 1, the East County Division of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, will begin scanning newly-initiated civil cases. With some exceptions, all documents associated with civil cases, including unlawful detainers, name changes, and civil restraining orders (excluding small claims) will be scanned/imaged and available via computer for viewing by judges, court staff, and parties involved.

Public documents related to the cases will also be available on-line to any interested party. Those documents can be viewed free of charge on courthouse kiosks or, for a fee, can be viewed and printed off-site.

“For the citizens of East County, access to the courts just got easier," stated East County Division Supervising Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon in a news release. "The East County Imaging Project will allow the public to view court filings from anywhere. No longer will citizens have to come to the courthouse and stand in line to access a file. The court will continue to strive to make the civil lawsuit process more easily available to the public. This is only the beginning.”

The East County courthouse is in El Cajon.

Civil Supervising Judge Jeffrey B. Barton has provided judicial oversight on the project since its inception and stated, “With this expansion, the San Diego Superior Court continues to advance the goal of bringing Internet-accessible civil court files to all areas of the county. The imaging program has been a success in our Central Division and will bring greater accessibility to more court users in the months ahead.”

Documents from the imaged cases will be retained in paper form for 90 days. All existing cases filed prior to the imaging start date will be maintained in hard copy.

The imaging project began in the Court’s downtown courthouse (Central Division) in August 2011 and will expand to all divisions throughout 2012.