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Kentucky Court of Justice CourtNet

User Manual January 2019

CourtNet 2.0 User Manual Revised, January 2019

Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts 2 | P a g e

CONTENTS COURTNET – OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 3

GETTING STARTED .......................................................................................................................... 4

ACCOUNT SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 8

NAVIGATING ................................................................................................................................... 9

TOOL BAR SELECTIONS (MAROON BAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN) ....................................... 9

BUTTONS AND OTHER ............................................................................................................... 10

SEARCHING BY PARTY ................................................................................................................... 11

SEARCHING BY CASE ..................................................................................................................... 13

SEARCHING BY CITATION .............................................................................................................. 14

SEARCHING BY BUSINESS .............................................................................................................. 15

INTERPRETING SEARCH RESULTS .................................................................................................. 16

CASE CART ..................................................................................................................................... 17

OTHER INFORMATION/SEARCHES ................................................................................................ 25

ACCESS CITATION IMAGES ........................................................................................................ 25

SEARCHING ONLINE DOCKETS................................................................................................... 26

RECENT SEARCHES .................................................................................................................... 27

PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE ...................................................................................... 28

PROFILE INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 28

ACCOUNT INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 34

SETTINGS ................................................................................................................................... 39

BILLING INFORMATION ................................................................................................................. 41

COURTNET SERVICE QUESTIONS .................................................................................................. 42



COURTNET – OVERVIEW CourtNet is designed to provide easy access to Civil and Criminal cases in the Kentucky Court system. This training material provides an overview of CourtNet and demonstrates application navigation as well as core functional features.



GETTING STARTED The following screen opens when you enter the site at the following address: https://kcoj.kycourts.net/kyecourts/.

After logging in, the user will land on the KYeCourts – Applications screen. From this screen, the user will select the CourtNet (Case Search) tile to enter CourtNet 2.0.

https://kcoj.kycourts.net/kyecourts/Login



GETTING STARTED (CONTINUED) Managed account users have a built in password expiration date that expires after 90 days. After this time, the user must to create a new password. Should you experience log in issues related to your pass through authenticated password (i.e., KBA credentials), you should contact your agency administrator.

Pass through authentication account passwords are not managed by the KYeCourts system.

The following screen opens when you sign on to the CourtNet 2.0 site for the first time:

1. You must sign the user agreement before accessing CourtNet 2.0 for the first time. 2. Select the View hyperlink to access the user agreement. 3. Select <Agree> to continue to CourtNet. If you fail to Select <Agree> or choose

<Decline>, you will be returned to the login screen. 4. Users with enhanced access must acknowledge the access through confirmation. If

prompted merely accept the enhanced access confirmation. This confirmation will be stored on-line along with the user agreement following acceptance.

5. Select <Continue>. If you are required to select one of six service plans, the system will take you from the Agreement page to Service Plan page.



GETTING STARTED (CONTINUED)

6. Choose a plan type, then select <Save>. 7. A plan can be cancelled at any time, select <Cancel My Plan> then <Save Changes>.

These plans are based on a cell phone plan model, with each plan providing access to a set number of unique cases for a billing period at a flat monthly rate.

An account will be charged for each unique case accessed during a billing period. A unique case is a case that is opened or drilled down into for additional information in one of several ways:

• Selecting a case number hyperlink to open an individual case. • Printing a case summary report from case cart. • Printing a case detail report from case cart.

Note: Each case in case cart counts as one unique case.

Each of the fee based subscription plans have a flat rate with a set amount of cases you may access. An image rate is charged for any images opened from a case. If the user exceeds the plan allotment in a billing period, an overage rate is applied to cases that exceed the plan.



GETTING STARTED (CONTINUED) The EFile Only plan is for users who need the search capabilities of CourtNet 2.0 while eFiling. Users with the EFile Only plan can:

• Use the following search functions on cases the user is particpating in: o Search by Case. o Search by Citation. o Search by Party. o Search by Business.

• Add cases to and remove cases from the Case Cart screen. • Access and use the ePay screen. • Initiate a Criminal Records Request from the AOCFastCheck function. • Print a summary report for cases(s). • Access and use the VINE – Court Notifiy system. • View Summons and Warrant alerts on cases. • Access the CourtNet 2.0 Help function. • View Clerk information via the Clerk Contact function. • View the Case At A Glance screen and the images.



GETTING STARTED (CONTINUED) ACCOUNT SUMMARY

Each time the user accesses CourtNet 2.0, the Account Summary screen displays. Selecting <Continue> will take the user to CourtNet 2.0.

The Account Summary screen has various pieces of information that are important to a user when first logging into the application:

• The user can see when their last login occurred in CourtNet 2.0. under the screen title of the Account Summary screen.

• Important news and system maintenence information displays in the News section. • Current account usage displays in the Plan Usage section. • The current status of the plan, last statement, and current balance display in the

Plan Status section.



NAVIGATING

TOOL BAR SELECTIONS (MAROON BAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN)

• Search icon: Returns user to current page. • Recent Searches icon: Allows users to see recent performed searches. Search history

is maintained cumulatively. The most recent 10 searches performed by the user are displayed.

• Case Cart icon: Displays selected cases from search results. • Help icon: Takes user to FAQ’s, sample videos, training material, and feedback. • Apps icon: Returns the user to the KYeCourts – Application landing page. • Logout icon: Log out of CourtNet.



NAVIGATING (CONTINUED) BUTTONS AND OTHER

• <Search>: Activates the search based on entered criteria. Selecting <Enter> on the keyboard is the search button equivalent.

• <Clear Fields>: Clears search criteria and allows user to begin a new search. • Alert/Error Messages: Displays messages in the view pane when a search is

conducted if information is missing, (i.e., first name, etc.). • Active Cases Only Checkbox: Allows user to filter results to render only Active cases

(i.e., Inactive cases will not display in results).



SEARCHING BY PARTY This search type is used when looking for a specific party to a case and at a minimum the individual’s name is known. Identifiers such as the person’s DOB, DLN, and/or SSN assist in yielding the best search results.

To conduct a search by party:

1. Expand the Search by Party option by clicking on the arrow. 2. Select the party type from the Party Type pull-down list, if applicable. The default is

PRIMARY. 3. Select the case type from the Case Type pull-down list, if applicable. The default is

ALL. 4. Select the county from the County pull-down list, if applicable. Otherwise, the

default is STATEWIDE. 5. Enter the desired information into the Last Name and First Name fields. 6. Select the desired search options for the Last Name and First Name fields. 7. Enter any additional information in the Birth Date, Drivers License #, and Social

Security # as necessary. 8. Use the Event Range tool if you want to narrow the date range of the search. 9. If you want only Active Cases, select the Active Cases Only checkbox. 10. Select <Search> or <Enter>.



SEARCHING BY PARTY (CONTINUED) • Valid search by party combinations:

o Party Type is Primary (i.e., Plaintiff, Defendant, etc.) or Attorney (Attorney, GAL, County Attorney, etc.).

o County and Case Type can be used with any combination. o First Name and Last Name. o First Name, Last Name and Birth Date. o First Name, Last Name and Event Range. o First Name, Last Name, Birth Date and Event Range. o Last Name, First Name, County. o SSN. o SSN and Event Range. o DLN. o DLN and Event Range.

• Search option rules for the Last Name and First Name fields. o The search options can be different for each field. o Starts With: Searches for all results that start with the entered information. This

requires a minimum of three characters o Exact Match: Searches for all results that exactly match the information entered

into the fields. o Sound Like: Searches for all results that match the Microsoft Soundex rules. This

requires a minimum of three characters. • Validations on fields, when using one of the search combinations above:

o County must exist in the drop down list. o Case Type must exist in the drop down list. o First Name must have three characters. o Last Name must have three characters. o Birth Date must be formatted mm/dd/yyyy. o SSN cannot contain symbols or dashes (i.e., 555449999), and must be numeric. o DLN cannot contain symbols or dashes (i.e., D87988901). o Event range must exist in the drop down list.



SEARCHING BY CASE This search type is used when looking for a specific case, in a specific county and the case number is known.

To conduct the Case search:

1. Expand the Search by Case option by clicking on the arrow. 2. Select the county from the County pull-down list. 3. Enter the case number in the Case # field. 4. Click <Search> or <Enter>.

• Valid search by case combinations: o County and Case Number

• Validations on fields, when using one of the search combinations above: o County must exist in the drop down list. o Case number, no trailer, must be one of the following formats: o 11-T-00001. o 11T1. o Case number, with trailer, must be one of the following formats: o 11-T-00001-001. o 11T1-001.



SEARCHING BY CITATION

This search type is used when looking for a specific case, in a specific county and the citation number is known.

To search by citation:

1. Expand the Search by Citation search option by clicking on the arrow. 2. Select the two-digit year from the Year pull-down list. 3. Enter the control number in the Control # field. 4. Select the correct type (0-9) from the Type pull-down list. The most common option is

one. 5. Click<Search> or <Enter>. 6. To view a sample citation click for assistance, click the View Example Citation hyperlink.

• Valid search by citation combinations: o Year, Control Number, and Type.

• Validations on fields, when using one of the search combinations above: o Year must exist in the drop down list. o Control must exist in the drop down list. o Type must exist in the drop down list. o Control number cannot contain symbols or dashes (i.e., AA87988901).



SEARCHING BY BUSINESS

This search type is used when looking for a business and the business name is known.

To search by business:

1. Expand the Search by Business search option by clicking on the arrow. 2. Enter the county from the County pull-down list. 3. Enter the business name without commas in the Business Name field. 4. Click <Search> or <Enter>.

• Valid search combinations: o County and Business Name.

• Validations on fields, when using one of the search combinations above: o County must exist in the drop down list. o Business Name cannot contain any commas.



INTERPRETING SEARCH RESULTS Conducting a valid search will yield information in the search results pane. Below is a sample screen shot.

• Search Results: The number next to the display title represents the number of search results rendered based on the search criteria entered.

• Active Cases: GREEN, Inactive Cases: BLACK. • Actions: Icons that represent the activities users can initiate based in access levels. In

the example above, the user could execute the following actions: o Add the case the Case Cart screen. o Print the Case Summary report. o Initiate a Criminal Records Request from the AOCFastCheck function. o Access Expungement informaion. o Access and use the VINE – Court Notifiy system. o View Clerk information via the Clerk Contact funtion. o Access the CourtNet 2.0 Help function.

• Alerts Icons: W (Warrant), S (Summons), and FTA (Failed to Appear). • Hover Help: Hovering over items in brackets (i.e., CO, PI, FCU) in the search results pane

will provide a brief description of the item. • Alert/Error Messages: These messages are displayed in the view pane when a search is

initiated. • Blue Bars: Groups content by criteria similarity. In other words, the results rendered

under each blue bar section are considered possible matches of the same person and are therefore associated or “grouped” together.

o Cases grouped this way will have access to three icons for ease of use. Add to Case Cart icon Print Case Summary icon Wrap-Up icon

• Orange Bar: Content may not be similar. A couple of conditions may cause this result: o Automatic matching may not contain enough criteria to match like cases. o No manual matching has occurred. o The case type is not criminal.

• Case Number: Clicking on the Case Number opens the Case At A Glance screen. This screen provides a detailed summary of the case and party information.

• Question Mark: Takes you to additional help information for the application. • Client ID Tracking: This feature allows Advanced, Professional, and Enterprise service

plans users to search for cases under a specific client name and tie system usage to that client.

• Next Court Event: Displays next scheduled court event, if applicable.



CASE CART This menu option allows users to select single or multiple cases for review/print purposes. To select cases for review or print purposes:

• Click the Add Case to Case Cart icon. ( ) • Select the Case Number hyperlink, and then select the Add to Cart hyperlink on the

Case At A Glance screen.

As the user select cases, the system validates cases are successfully added or removed. The Case Cart number indicator on the toolbar updates dynamically as cases are added/removed (i.e., Case Cart (4)).

Once you have selected all desired cases, click the Case Cart icon in the tool bar. This displays the Case Cart screen as shown below.

From the Case Cart screen, the user has three actions:

• Print a Case Detail report. • Print a Case Summary report. • Remove case from the Case Cart screen.

Selecting the Empty Cart icon will remove all the cases stored on the Case Cart screen. As an alternative, the user can click the X icon next to each case. This action will only remove that case from the cart, the other cases will remain.

Users can also remove cases from the Case Cart screen by selecting the Case Cart icon under the Alerts section in the search results. This generates a small pop up allowing the user to remove the case.

Users can return to their previous searches results by clicking the Recent Searches icon on the toolbar.



REPORTS IN COURTNET 2.0 The CourtNet 2.0 application allows users to create a variety of reports based on search results. These reports are: the Case Detail report, the Case Summary report, and the Wrap-Up report.

The Case Detail report allows the user to view and print each case selected via the case cart on a separate page. The system will merge the cases into a single PDF. The PDF file may be opened or saved at this point. A sample Case Detail report is shown below:



REPORTS IN COURTNET 2.0 (CONTINUED) The Case Summary report allows users to view and print a high-level summary of the selected cases. This summary report includes Parties and Charges for Criminal cases and Parties and Documents for Civil cases. The report displays the Charge and Disposition text in larger, bolder text. Additionally, the Uniform Offense Report code (UOR) displays following the charge. The system merges the cases into a single PDF to be opened or saved at this point. A sample Case Summary report is shown below:



REPORTS IN COURTNET 2.0 (CONTINUED) The Wrap-Up report displays criminal information related to a particular party.



CASE AT A GLANCE Each search result’s case number displays a hyperlink to the Case At A Glance screen for that particular case. The Case At A Glance screen is a detailed accounting of the case and a sample follows.



CASE AT A GLANCE (CONTINUED) The top portion of the Case At A Glance screen displays three green buttons: <Parties>, <Documents>, and <Images>. These buttons are hyperlinks to respective sections of the Case At A Glance screen.

The case’s basic styling appears in format shown below.

The case number displays on the left hand side of the screen and and a series of helpful buttons and link appear on the right side of the screen. These items are described below.

• <eFile>: This button allows the user to file subsequently on the case in question in the eFiling application.

• Add To Cart: This hyperlink adds the case in question to the case cart. • Print: This hyperlink generates a detail report for the case.

The Case Memo section of the Case At A Glance screen displays memos written by the Clerk.

The Parties section of the Case At A Glance screen displays party information. . A green button, <Service>, the displays a pop up window indicating who is received electronic service and who is not.



CASE AT A GLANCE (CONTINUED)



CASE AT A GLANCE (CONTINUED) The Charges section will only show on Criminal cases. It details all the charges brought in the case.

The Documents section displays all the various Court documentation attached to the case. An example of this section is shown below.

The Events section shows all events that are scheduled for the case in question.

The Images section displays all the images attached to the case and each listed item has a hyperlink to a PDF of the attached image.



Confidential / Sealed Cases in Courtnet 2.0

OTHER INFORMATION/SEARCHES ACCESS CITATION IMAGES

In order to access citation images on a case, a user should:

1. Select the Case Number hyperlink.

2. Select the Citation Image hyperlink at the bottom of the case detail screen. If an image

does not exist for the selected case, the message “There are no images found for this case” will be displayed.

3. Open or save the report with the user’s browser.



OTHER INFORMATION/SEARCHES (CONTINUED) SEARCHING ONLINE DOCKETS

1. Select the Docket tile on the KYeCourts – Index screen.

2. The link will redirect user to current online docket site.

3. Select a county from the County pull-down list. 4. Select a Division radio button. 5. Select a date from the Date calendar tool. Today’s date is the default. 6. Select a courtroom from the Courtroom pull-down list and a subdivision from the

Subdivision pull-down list.



OTHER INFORMATION/SEARCHES (CONTINUED) RECENT SEARCHES

This feature provides access to the last 10 searches and allows the user to resubmit a search using the same criteria.

1. Select the Recent Searches icon from the toolbar.

2. Select the Search Again icon for the desired search criteria wanted and the search will

automatically begin.



PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE The User Profile application provides information about the account owner, sub accounts, plan details and history, usage and next bill estimate. It is divided into three screens: KYeCourts Profile screen, KYeCourts Account screen, and KyeCourts Settings screen.

USER PROFILE INFORMATION

The KYeCourts Profile screen lists a series of sections that allow users to edit or validate parts of the user’s profile. The sections are User Profile, Profile Identifiers, Business Info, Additional eMails, and Agreements. Edit icons take users to different maintenance screens for reviewing and editing information.



PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) USER PROFILE INFORMATION (CONTINUED)

All of the user’s collected demographic information displays on the KYeCourts User Profile Edit screen.

The KYeCourts User Profile Edit screenalso allows changes to account access under the Additional Properties field.

Changes to passwords are accomplished via the Change Password icon located under the User Profile section.




The Additional eMails section is for entering additional emails the user may wish to have on file. The alternate e-mails entered on the KYecOurts Edit Designated Recipients screen are used for eFiling notification purposes and do not directly impact CourtNet 2.0 functions.




The Business Profile section contains all the information about the user’s business. Changes are made to this section via the KYeCourts User Profile Edit screen.




Users of the eFiling application must verify their KBA credentials through <Edit Verification> before the system allows access to eFiling. This verification process does not directly impact any CourtNet 2.0 functions.




To change jurisdiction information, the select <More…> under the Profile Identifiers secion. Jurisdictions may be added/edited/deleted from the KYeCourts Jurisdictions screen.

To add a jurisdiction, select a jurisdiction from the Select a jurisdiction pull-down list. Then click the checkbox under the Preferred column to make the jurisdiction a preferred one. Users can remove any jurisdiction by selecting the X icon under the Remove? column.

Jurisdictions are saved as selected, with those that are preferred appearing first in the list.

The Agreements section displays the accepted CourtNet 2.0 user agreements. Clicking the View hyperlink next to each agreement allows the user to review content or sign additional versions should updates to the agreements be required.



PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) ACCOUNT INFORMATION

The KYeCourts Account screen displays when the user clicks the Account Profile icon on the toolbar. This screen is divided into three sections: Account Profile, Plan Details, and Usage and Next Bill Estimate.



PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) ACCOUNT INFORMATION (CONTINUED)

The Account Profile section contains all of the information attached to the account for the user. A user can click the Edit icon next to the subsection title to edit / update / delete any information on the KYeCourts Agency Account Edit screen. These edits are saved when the user clicks <Save>. Information entered here will not be saved if <Profile> is clicked before <Save>. Changes to the Fiscal Officer Email and Billing Email fields of the payor will affect invoice destination and delivery.

Authorized users can add/ remove/ and edit subaccount licenses by clicking <Manage Users) under to the Sub Accounts field.




On the KYeCourts SubAcounts screen, an authorized user can:

• Viewing, at a glance, all the sub accounts listed. Account status is listed as well as the user’s last login date.

• Create a sub account by:

1. Clicking <+ Sub Account>. 2. Enter the email address and first and last name of the additional user in the

appropriate fields. Also, include information for the Job Title and Location fields, if applicable.

3. Choose the appropriate access options from the Additional Properties checkboxes.

4. Click <Send Invite> to send the new sub account user a welcome email explaining how to log in to CourtNet.

• Edit sub account(s) by:

1. Click the blue hyperlink under the Username field. 2. Change the information in the demographic fields as needed. 3. Click <Reset Password> if the sub account user needs a password reset. 4. Edit the options under the Additional Properties checkboxes as needed.

The Additional Properties checkboxes will contain the following options:

• Is the User Active?: This checkbox must be checked for a sub account to be able to access CourtNet 2.0. Unchecking it deactivates an account.

• Is the User a Payer for Account: This checkbox must be checked for a sub account to be able to pay the invoice.

• Can User Change Other Subaccounts and See Account Information?: This checkbox must be checked for the sub account user to add or modify other sub accounts.

• Does the User Perform Searches?: This checkbox must be checked to have the ability to perform searches.

Note: To allow a user to be a payor only, select the checkboxes Is the User Active? and Is the User a Payer for Account. Do not select the Does the User Perform Searches? checkbox and this account will not be charged a monthly fee.




The Plan Details section lets an authorized user view the current details of the account. This section lists the name of plan, monthly rate, cases allowed for the plan, overage rate, and image rate.

To change a plan:

1. Click the Edit icon next to the subsection’s title.

2. Select another plan radio button to choose a different plan. Note that plans can be

changed at any time during the month and go into effect at the next billing cycle. 3. Click <Save>.




The Usage and Next Bill Estimate section allows authorized users to see current activity on your account. This feature is available for the following three KBA plan selections (Advanced, Professional and Enterprise).

The fields displayed on this subsection are detailed below:

• # Cases: This field displays how many unique cases have been accessed to date in the billing cycle.

• # Images: This field displays how many unique images have been accessed as well. • Case Cost: The base monthly subscription fee. • Overage Cost: This field displays any overages for the current bill. • Image Cost: This field displays the total images cost for this bill. • Total field: This field displays the total cost for the bill.

If the user selects <View Current Usage>, then the user will see the KYeCourts Account Usage screen. From here, a user can:

• See the total usage numbers for the account and sub accounts. • See the total plan usage numbers. • View the estimate of the next bill. • Click <Print Detail PDF> for a report detailing more about individual activity or click

<Print Summary PDF> for a summary of all activity.




The <Export Usage Detail> button allows the account administrator to export detailed usage data from a specified time. This button is available for Advanced, Professional and Enterprise service plans. After clicking <Export Usage Detail>, the user will click <Extract>. This button opens a CSV file that can be opened with a spreadsheet application. The file indicates usage for the specified time range of all your account users.

Included in the file is:

• Login ID • Name • Job Title • Location • Client ID • Case Number • County • Division • Action • Action Date

SETTINGS

The KYeCourts Setting screen houses a group of fields designed to set personal preferences for users when they use the CourtNet 2.0 application.

Users can access this screen by selecting the Settings option on the KYeCourts Setting screen’s toolbar. The screen is divided into two sections: Setting and Person Directory. The Setting section is comprised of the following dropdown lists:

• Case Cart Clear dropdown list. • Report Font Size dropdown list. • Party Type Search Default dropdown list. • Case Type Search Default dropdown list.



PROFILE INFORMATION/MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) SETTINGS (CONTINUED)

The dropdown lists under the Setting section allow the user to set up certain defaults when using the CourtNet 2.0 application.

• The Case Cart Clear dropdown list allows the user to choose whether or not the Case Cart in CourtNet 2.0 will clear itself automatically when the user begins a new search.

• The Report Font Size dropdown list allows users to set the text size of the Case Detail report.

• The Party Type Search Default dropdown list gives users the ability to set the default party type they will search for in CourtNet 2.0.

• The Case Type Search Default dropdown list gives users the ability to set the default case type they will search for in CourtNet 2.0.

Any or all of these dropdownlists are saved when the user select <Save>.

The Person Directory section is being developed for future functionality. This guide will be updated as additional content becomes available for it.



BILLING INFORMATION The first CourtNet invoice will be emailed to the registered email address on file within 10 days of initial signup, although the invoice may be sent immediately upon choosing a plan. Subsequent invoices will be emailed to the primary account holder and any designated payor within the first five days of each month (refer to page 33 for how to designate a payor). Invoices will also be accessible online by accessing the Profile page.

Plan charges are billed in advance and usage charges are billed in arrears (i.e., an invoice received on May 1 will display the base monthly charge for the month of May and any overages or image charges obligated during the month of April).

Payment may be submitted online by accessing the Pay Now hyperlink highlighted below. Online credit card payments may be made by the primary account holder or designated payers. Invoice must be paid in 10 days or account may be deactivated. All invoices must be paid by credit card.

For issues or questions regarding CourtNet 2.0 billing, please email the AOC accounting department at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]



CourtNet Service Questions If you experience any issues, please contact your CourtNet 2.0 administrator.

If your administrator is unable to resolve the issue, please contact the eCourt Support at [email protected] or call 502-782-8699.

mailto:[email protected]