Courthouse Connection - Court News and Notes - Western District of Missouri

Court News and Notes

Attorney Annual Dues

Payment of the attorney annual dues is just around the corner. The dues will remain $10 for the 2011 fee year. The fee must be paid online via CM/ECF by midnight on March 31, 2011. You will be able to pay your fee using a debit card, credit card or through an ACH payment. Please watch for an e-mail notification in mid-January; dues cannot be paid until you receive the e-mail letting you know it’s time to pay.

Failure to pay dues will result in the deactivation of your ECF filing login and password, and therefore your filing privileges will also be revoked. If you do not meet the March 31 deadline, a $50 reinstatement fee will be required beginning April 1, 2011.

What do you need to do right now?

Make sure you know your District Court login and password. Please attempt to log in to District CM/ECF prior to the payment deadline to ensure your login and password work correctly.

If you don’t have a District Court login and password, please complete the registration form, and then submit it to the court. Find the form here: http://www.mow.uscourts.gov/court/ecfregform.pdf.
Ensure that the court has your correct e-mail address. You may e-mail Jeri Russel at jeri_russel@mow.uscourts.gov to confirm your address.

CJA Updates

The National CJA Voucher Reference Tool is a U.S. Courts website that is now available for CJA-appointed counsel.

The purpose of the online reference tool is to provide quick access to the policies and procedures related to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) cases, beginning with the appointment of panel attorneys and continuing through the processing of vouchers to the approval of payment for services rendered.

The information is organized by “topics” and by “roles” that can be accessed through tabs. Direct access to specific questions can be retrieved through the search function. Frequently asked questions (FAQs), quick reference sheets, additional resources and contact information for staff assistance are also available through the “resources” tab.

The Web address is http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/cjaort/index.html.

Coming in 2011

The Western District of Missouri will be offering CJA voucher policy and procedure training. This training will cover completion of CJA vouchers and worksheets as well as a review of national and local CJA policies.

The training will be available to all CJA panel attorney’s as well as support staff involved with completing vouchers and worksheets. Dates and locations to be announced.

Any questions regarding CJA may be directed to CJA Administrator, Teresa Harrison, via e-mail at teresa_harrison@mow.uscourts.gov or via phone at 816-512-5066. You may also access the court’s website at http://www.mow.uscourts.gov/district/cja.html for general information and CJA vouchers.

Jefferson City Courthouse Update

Construction of the new Jefferson City federal courthouse continues at a rapid pace. As of November, most of the work has moved to the inside of the building. Marble wainscot and terrazzo flooring is now being installed in the public spaces.

The courtrooms are progressing― cherry woodwork is being installed, and (right) you can see the current stage of one of the magistrate courtrooms and the bookshelves recently installed in one of the magistrate's office.

Completion is scheduled for July 2011, with an anticipated opening at the end of the summer. Workers are in the process of setting the granite steps that lead up to the entrance. Meanwhile, the city is finishing up its construction project that extends Lafayette Street and is resurfacing State Street.

Watch out for more updates in the next newsletter, or visit http://oxblue.com/pro/open/mr/uscourthouse to view real time progress of the new building via Web cam.