The Fairfax County Circuit Court has introduced a new e-filing system for criminal cases, phasing out the need for physical case files, and plans for more judicial reforms are in the works.
Circuit Court Clerk Chris Falcon officially announced the launch of the tool — which builds on the existing e-filing system for civil cases launched in 2022 — to the Board of Supervisors yesterday (Oct. 1) during a Safety and Security Committee meeting.
Previously, the court required users to pay for a subscription to access case information and to visit in person to obtain documents, except in select cases.
“Starting today, we no longer create paper files for our criminal cases in Fairfax County. Those are now digital files,” Falcon said. “That will allow us to access the criminal files from our computers, from courtrooms and not have to go pull the physical files every time we have motions, hearings and trials. That is a huge accomplishment.”
The announcement continues a recent push to expand the circuit court’s accessibility. This summer, Falcon’s office launched an eCaseSearch system, which lets the public look up basic case information in multiple languages for free.
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also created a Case Overview Dashboard that details cases handled by local prosecutors, breaking them down by demographic data, types of cases, charges, and overall volume.
Alongside the e-filing system, Falcon, who was elected last year after making increased accessibility a top issue in his campaign, announced plans to extend satellite court services to the Richmond Highway corridor. The court introduced a satellite sites in Reston this spring.
Available on a monthly basis in the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate, the site offers document copies, notary services, marriage license applications, and the ability to file into active civil cases without having to go to the Fairfax County Courthouse in the middle of Fairfax City.
At yesterday’s meeting, the supervisors suggested expanding the services to other parts of the county, particularly in the south. Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and others proposed the Gerry Hyland Government Center (8350 Richmond Highway) as an option.
“The plan is to also expand it next year, down the Route 1 corridor,” Falcon confirmed.
Other upcoming initiatives include a judicial learning center, an expungement clinic for people who were charged with a crime but not convicted, and a property fraud alert system. The clerk’s office is also looking to automatically seal eligible criminal charges and continue digitizing historical court records.
With state Sen. Scott Surovell as the lead patron, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2021 to automatically seal some police and court records, including for dismissed charges, acquittals and convictions for nonviolent misdemeanors like trespassing and marijuana possession. The process is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.
“We have been working with our state partners and others identify the cases that we have in Fairfax Circuit Court to qualify for this,” Falcon said.
Nearly all the county supervisors praised Falcon for his efforts to enhance transparency and improve accessibility within the court system.
“I appreciate your leadership, and just want to thank you for all the innovative things that you’re doing the circuit courts,” Lusk said. “This is tremendous. Thank you.”
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik highlighted the potential impact of the proposed judicial learning center, noting that visiting the courthouse as a student sparked her interest in the legal system.
According to Falcon, the learning center will feature exhibits on historic cases in Fairfax County to supplement an existing program where eighth-grade students can tour the county’s courthouse and watch its proceedings.
“As someone who went from Frost [Middle School] to visit the courthouse, I remember meeting with the inmates, and I think that led to my love for action, for human services,” she said. “So, I love that, out of it, you got your love for the law, and through the Judicial Learning Center, we can inspire future generations, especially Latinos like us who grew up here.”
