Marilyn Burgess HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK 201 Caroline

Marilyn Burgess HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK 201 Caroline | P. O. Box 4651 | Houston, Texas 77210 -4651 | 832 -927 -5800 | www. hcdistrictclerk. com e-Gov An electronic imaging system for accessing Harris County case records Presented by Technical Services

Objectives • Instruct users how to search for imaged records within e-Gov • Instruct users how to use the “Basket” features within e-Gov

The New Approach • e-Gov utilizes the District Clerk website to retrieve information. • E-mail address and password are used for login.

Using e-Gov • Most actions involved in e-Gov are related to searches and the results they yield. – Initiate a search among the Civil Court imaged records using the “Search Civil” link.

Searching Civil Images • To search for documents, enter the search criteria into the appropriate field.

Search By… • Case Number o This field contains the 9 -digit number used to identify cases. A case number may contain two alphabet suffixes. o Multiple case numbers may be entered separated by commas. • Plaintiff • Defendant

Search By… • Case Status o This field contains the status of a case such as Active, Disposed, On Appeal, etc. o Select status from the drop-down menu. • Image Number o This field contains the unique identifier for imaged documents. o Multiple image numbers may be entered separated by commas.

Search By… • Document Type o This field contains the classification for an imaged document. o Select document classification from the drop-down menu. • Number of Image Pages o This field contains the specific page count for each imaged document. o Search for documents using a specific page count or a range of pages.

Search By… • Activity Code o This field contains coding for the court activity. This coding is found only on judge’s orders. o Multiple codes may be entered separated by commas. • Activity Date o This field contains the judge’s signature date or file date. o Search for documents using a specific date or date range.

Search By… • Type of Action o This field contains the type of case, or action. o Select the type of action for the case from the drop-down menu. • Court Number o Select the desired court number from the drop-down menu.

Viewing Civil Images • The search results are displayed in image number order. • These results are limited to the first 75 entries.

Viewing Civil Images • Multiple cases are sorted in case number order. • Displayed to the right of each case number o Plaintiff vs. Defendant o Court Number o Type of Case

Viewing Civil Images • Cases may include multiple security levels. o Public images are listed in black. o Confidential images are listed in brown. o Sealed images are listed in red.

Understanding the Fields • Image Number o This field contains the unique identifier for imaged documents. • Pages o This field contains the number of pages that each image includes. • Document Type o This field contains the classification for an imaged document.

Understanding the Fields • Activity Type o This field contains the coding and title for the court activity that is found only on judge’s orders. • Activity Date o This field contains the judge’s or file date. signature date

Displaying the Image • To view a specific image, click on the appropriate link under the column “Image Number. ”

Displaying the Image • The image is displayed on the right side of the screen using Adobe Acrobat Viewer. • Standard toolbar features help the user navigate through the document.

Display Tools • Use the “Print” option to print a certified copy of the image. o E-Gov allows users to print certified copies of District Clerk records for government use.

Display Tools • The Printed Copy o A reference of the image number can be found in the left margin of each printed page of the document. o The last page of each printed copy contains a District Clerk certification.

The Basket • The “Basket” feature allows users to download, email, or fax all, or part(s), of a case. • Click on “Add Entire Case” or “Add to Basket” to utilize this feature.

The Basket • The images are displayed and stored in the Basket until the user chooses to remove them.

The Basket • Faxing a Document o This button faxes all documents within the Basket as District Clerk certified copies. o The fax number is preset and is based on the signup information provided by the user. o The fax number must be local (713, 281, & 832) or an 800 number.

The Basket • The Faxed Copy o A cover letter is automatically generated for the documents faxed. o A reference of the image number can be found in the left margin of each printed page of the document. o The last page of each printed copy contains a District Clerk certification.

The Basket • Emailing Images o This button will compile all documents within the Basket into a zip file and send it to the user’s email account as an email attachment. o The email address is preset and is based on the signup information provided by the user.

The Basket • Downloading Images o This button allows users to save certified documents as a zip file directly to a personal computer or network folder. o A reference of the image number can be found in the left margin of each page. o The last page of each document contains a District Clerk certification.

Conclusion • Now you are ready to use e-Gov!