Release Date: October 14, 2003	Release Number: 66

Supreme Court Launches New Online Service For State Appellate Court Opinions

All Opinions in Official Reports Now Accessible & Searchable

San Francisco - The California Supreme Court today announced a new online service that provides free public access to all state appellate court opinions published in the California Official Reports since California became a state in 1850. The opinions are available on the California Courts Web site at www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/continue.htm.

“This historic new service is another step forward in the judicial branch’s efforts to increase public access to the work of the California courts,” said Chief Justice Ronald M. George. “More than 132,000 opinions of the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and superior court appellate departments are now available free of charge to all those interested in viewing the complete published work of our state courts of review.”

The opinions are searchable by Official Reports citation, docket number, issues in the opinion, and the names of parties, judges and justices, and appellate counsel.

The new service is made possible under the terms of a contract announced earlier this year with LexisNexis, the new official publisher of the California Official Reports. Under the contract, other modes of Official Reports computer versions also will be provided, including an online official database in the LexisNexis system; offline versions in both CD-ROM and DVD format; and an e-mail “alert service” to Official Reports subscribers and the general public.

The California Supreme Court offers these other online information services:

• A Case Information System with complete docket information about all pending Supreme Court cases with e-mail notification of key actions in each case. (http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov)
• Notice of forthcoming court opinions and current calendars, minutes, and a list of actions taken at the court’s weekly conferences (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/)
• All Supreme Court opinions issued in the past 60 days. Opinions are available simultaneously at the time of filing, with filing times announced in advance for the convenience of litigants, the public, and the press. (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions).
• The Internal Operating Practices and Procedures of the court, part of a 57-page booklet that provides an overview of the court’s work, membership, and history. (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/iopp.htm)
• Biographies and photographs of the court’s seven justices. (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/justices.htm)
• Detailed information and applications for court-appointed counsel in death penalty appeals. (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/dpenalty.htm)