In re Appellate Motion Electronic-Filing Project

Cite as 2015 Ark. 282
SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS
No.
IN RE APPELLATE MOTION Opinion Delivered June 18, 2015
ELECTRONIC-FILING PILOT
PROJECT
PER CURIAM
Administrative Order Number 21 encourages every court of this state to
implement an electronic filing system and vests this court with the authority to adopt
electronic filing in the appellate courts of this state. See Ark. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order No.
21(3)(a)(3)–(4). Pursuant to that Order, we announce our intent to implement an
electronic filing system in this court and the court of appeals as soon as practicable. To that
end, we authorize the establishment of an electronic-filing pilot project limited to select
motions filed in the appellate courts to begin this summer as a first step toward mandatory
electronic filing in the appellate courts. See id. § (3)(b).
Upon the Administrative Office of the Court’s (“AOC”) completion of the
technical changes needed to provide electronic filing of motions in the appellate courts,
parties shall be permitted to file and serve select motions and petitions, and any responses
thereto, via the electronic system, eFlex, which is provided by the AOC. In the interim,
however, parties will not be permitted to electronically file or serve any motion or
petition that requires the payment of any fee as a prerequisite to the filing.
Parties who elect to file documents electronically shall be excused from the
requirements of Arkansas Supreme Court Rule 2-1(b) regarding the filing of paper copies.
Cite as 2015 Ark. 282
Should there be any other irreconcilable discrepancies between Administrative Order
Number 21 and the Rules of the Supreme Court, Administrative Order Number 21 shall
govern with respect to electronic filings until such time as the court amends the Rules to
accommodate electronic filing. Additionally, the clerk of this court is authorized to
promulgate and update policies and procedures for the implementation of this order and
for the use and operation of the electronic-filing and document-management systems.
Persons with existing eFlex accounts will not be required to take any further steps
to acquire electronic filing capabilities in the appellate courts. Persons who have not yet
acquired an eFlex account should follow the AOC’s registration requirements available at
https://courts.arkansas.gov/administration/acap/efile to access the electronic filing system.
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