Eleven western North Carolina counties switch from paper to digital court records Monday in the state’s latest eCourts expansion. The latest additions mark the halfway point for a 10-track expansion project that will extend into 2025.
Plaintiffs challenging eCourts implementation in North Carolina have dropped state and local court officials from the list of defendants in their federal lawsuit. A court filing Tuesday confirmed that all 13 plaintiffs in the eCourts suit have agreed to dismiss complaints against five defendants.
North Carolina’s court system will save more than $6 million from its original 10-year eCourts contract. The court system is also extending the contract by another five years, with cost increases capped at 3% per year.
Lawyers representing North Carolina’s top court administrator defended the new eCourts program in a federal court filing this week. A motion submitted Tuesday asks a judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging eCourts’ implementation.
Nearly half of North Carolina’s counties will have access to eCourts by the end of the year. The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts released Friday an updated eCourts rollout plan for 2024.
Defendants in a federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s eCourts implementation object to a proposal to turn the case into a class action. Class-action status would allow the case’s nine current plaintiffs to act on behalf of others with eCourts-related legal complaints.
Critics of North Carolina’s new eCourts system have added seven more plaintiffs to their federal lawsuit challenging the system’s rollout. They also have added the state’s top court executive to the list of defendants.
Ryan Boyce will take over as director of North Carolina’s Administrative Office of the Courts, effective April 4. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby appointed Boyce to the position Friday. Boyce replaces Andrew Heath, who is leaving to work in private practice.
