The Fairfax County Circuit Court has rolled out a new online tool that allows people to search case information in several languages for free.
The new eCaseSearch system delivers on a key campaign promise of Chris Falcon, who was elected last year as the county’s circuit court clerk and pledged to make court records more accessible to the general public.
“We are thrilled to be able to launch eCaseSearch this month,” Falcon said in a press release. “This electronic service will mark a significant milestone in enhancing public access to Circuit Court Case information, fostering transparency, and promoting accountability within the legal system.”
Until now, online access to even basic information about circuit court cases, including hearing dates and charges, was gated behind a subscription to the Court Public Access Network (CPAN), costing users $150 per quarter or $600 per year.
The new service allows people to search civil and criminal cases online without needing to pay a hefty fee. Case documents aren’t included in the online service but can still be accessed by the public in person at the Fairfax County Courthouse (4110 Chain Bridge Road).
“CPAN has more detailed data but otherwise provides the same information as eCaseSearch,” Camila Alfonzo Meza, a spokesperson for the clerk’s office, told FFXnow.
Unlike most courts in Virginia that use an online system provided by the state’s Supreme Court, Fairfax County’s circuit court has long maintained its own system for handling public records. It is the only jurisdiction in Northern Virginia that used to charge for remote access to court information, which is permitted under state law.
The circuit court launched an e-filing system last May that lets citizens and attorneys access documents for civil cases for a small fee. Community members can also now get access to some court records and other services at a satellite location that pops up once a month in Reston.
The eCaseSearch tool is offered in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Amharic and Chinese, the most commonly spoken languages in Fairfax based on Fairfax County Public Schools data, Meza says. The program’s translations were all done internally by circuit court staff.
“We may be able to provide additional languages in the future but are excited to be able to expand access to information for the public in this way,” Meza said.
According to Meza, the tool was developed in collaboration with Fairfax County Department of Information Technology programmers and didn’t require extra funding or external contractors. The clerk’s office does not anticipate any future costs of maintaining the application.
The site has been “optimized” for use on both mobile devices and desktop computers. However, there are no plans to develop a mobile app version or expand its functionality further, Meza says.
