Online access to West Virginia circuit court records coming March 10
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CHARLESTON — Circuit court records in all 55 West Virginia counties will be available to search and access online beginning March 10. The state Supreme Court of Appeals announced this week that the West Virginia Public Access Search System, or WVPASS, will provide online access to all publicly available circuit court documents dating back to 1999 on the court’s website, www.courtswv.gov. Registration to use the new system is free, as is the search feature. Documents can be downloaded for 25 cents per page, plus a nominal credit/debit card processing fee for regular public users, according to a release from the court. Attorneys will be able to use the new system to access and download files for cases in which they are counsel of record for free. “The Court is proud to announce the launch of this long-awaited system that will bring county circuit court records into the digital age,” said Chief Justice William R. “Bill” Wooton. “This launch is the culmination of an extended, monumental effort on the part of the Supreme Court’s Administrative Office, our outside vendor and staff from all 55 county courthouses. Online access to court records is an essential public service, and I want to thank all parties involved for their commitment to making this a reality.” Wood County Circuit Clerk Celeste Ridgway said she and her staff have been working toward the effort since she took office in 2020. “(I think) a lot of people will be pleased that we’ve finally gotten to this point,” she said. Some people contact the office from out of town to check records and are unable to come utilize the public terminal there, Ridgway said. Being able to search records online and download and print them will be “a huge plus,” she said. “I think that’s much more convenient to the public,” Ridgway said. The public access terminal will still be available for people who don’t have another way to search the records. The online circuit court record system follows last year’s launch of the Court’s Magistrate Case Record System. An additional records system for the appellate case level is also anticipated in the near future, the release said. “The WVPASS circuit courts records search system demonstrates our court’s commitment to make West Virginia’s judicial system as transparent and accessible to the public as possible,” said Justice C. Haley Bunn, who has taken the lead on the project for the court in recent years. “Beginning next month, our citizens will be able to search and download public civil and criminal case information dating back to the turn of the century from the convenience of their computer or mobile device – bypassing the need to go to a courthouse and search for records in person.” The new system will provide access to publicly available criminal and civil case files; the release said. Filings made under seal and juvenile cases will not be available. Ridgway noted part of the work her office has been doing is ensuring information that should remain confidential, such as medical records related to a case, is properly redacted. Although the 25-cents-per-page fee is lower than the $1 per page the Wood County Circuit Clerk’s office charges, Ridgway said she does not anticipate an impact on their budget, since attorneys already get copies of cases on which they’re working for free. The Supreme Court contracted with i3 Verticals to allow access to public circuit court records. Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.comLocal News
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