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Emergency Filings: Electronic Filers

Electronic filers may utilize the Court’s emergency filing procedure if they are in danger of missing a filing deadline.

When is it an Emergency?

If you are an electronic filer and are in danger of missing a filing deadline, the emergency procedures may be utilized if either of the following are true:

  • CM/ECF is unavailable; or 
  • You are unable to submit a document electronically due to technical difficulties beyond your control (such as a power outage).
Caution: If this procedure is used without proper explanation of the emergency or if there is no danger of missing a filing deadline, an Order to Show Cause may be issued.

How to Submit Your Filing

In Person

You may submit the document in-person at the Clerk’s Office during regular business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The document must be submitted in paper format. The filer must complete a form (available at the Clerk’s Office) that states why the document is being submitted by an alternate method, including (a) the filing deadline, (b) the date and time the filer attempted to submit the document properly via ECF, and (c) the specific nature of the technical difficulty that prevented the filer from submitting the document electronically. If the filing has an associated fee, please note that a failure to pay any required fees in a timely manner will result in the lockdown of your ECF account until the fees are paid.

Online Submission

Emergency filings may be submitted to the Clerk’s Office by filling out the emergency filing form and uploading the filing in PDF format. You will be asked to state the reason the alternate filing method is being utilized, the filing deadline, and the date and time you attempted to file the document using ECF. You will receive a confirmation of submission. After submission you must contact the Clerk's Office to notify the Court of the filing. If the filing has an associated fee, please note that failure to pay outstanding fees within CM/ECF may result in your account being disabled until payment is remitted.

Receipt by the Clerk's Office

Upon receipt of the document, if the procedures outlined above have been followed, the Clerk’s Office staff will docket the document with the following notation: “This document is deemed filed on ________ (date/time) pursuant to the Court’s Emergency Filing Procedures.” If the document was submitted electronically, it will be deemed filed on the date and time of submission.