Court Opinion

ID: 9955023
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-27 15:12:32.462213+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:15:12.138869
License: Public Domain

oRIGINAL                                                             03/26/2024

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                                   Case Number: AF 14-0745

                                        AF 14-0745                                   RILED
                                                                                     MAR 2 6 2024
                                                                                  Bowen Greenwood
                                                                                Clerk of Supreme Court
                                                                                   State of IlAnntar:-.,a
IN RE TEMPORARY ELECTRONIC FILING
                                                                      ORDER
RULES

      On November 19, 2014, the Supreme Court adopted Temporary Electronic Filing
Rules. We have determined that certain amendments to Rules 3 and 10 are necessary.
      Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, effective immediately, Rule 3 of the
Temporary Electronic Filing Rules is amended to include a new subsection (h) as follows:

      (h) A registered user shall not knowingly permit or cause the user's password
      to be used by anyone else. If a registered user has reason to suspect that the
      security of the user's log-in and password has been compromised, the user
      shall immediately contact the E-Filing System Administrator.

      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, effective immediately, Rule 10 of the Temporary
Electronic Filing Rules is amended as follows:
      (10) SIGNING PLEADINGS, MOTIONS AND OTHER PAPERS:

          (a) SIGNATURES ON ELECTRONIC FILINGS:

                4-A-r-egist-efed-userls-leg-in-ancl-passwer-El-setwe-as-the-usefls
                sigmture—on—all—deeuments—eleet-renieall filed--wit41—the
                Court.

                21. Except as provided by (10)(b), where a hand signature
                would otherwise appear, each document filed electronically
                by a registered user may shall be signed in the format "/s/
                Chris E. Attorney.Signer's Name" or with a handwritten
                signature.
               3,A-r-egister-ed-user-shall-net-knewing1y-ftermit-er-eause-the
               user-ls-passwer-E1-4e-be-usefl-4yf--anyene-else,4-f-a--registefekl
               user has reason to suspect that the security of the user's log-
               in and password has been compromised, the E Filing
               System Administrator must be contacted immediately.

                42. Only a judge, registered user, clerk of court, court
                reporter, or deputy clerk of court may use the "/s/" signature
                form, ancl except as provided by (10)(b) (1)(a) only when
                signing the document as the filer.

          (b) JOINTLY FILED DOCUMENTS; MULTIPLE SIGNATURES:

             1. Documents requiring signatures of more than one party may
             be filed in one of the following ways:

                 (a) Where all signers ar-e-r-egistered-user-s-and-wher-e-a11
                 consent to the filing, by using the "/s/" electronic
                 signature as to all parties;

                 (b) Where all signers use hand signatures, by scanning
                 the document and filing it electronically witheut-the
                 "/s/" signature by any party;

                 (c) By scanning one or more identical documents with
                 With a combination of hand signatures and attaching
                 each document as an exhibit to a document bearing the
                 registered user's "/s/" electronic signatures where all
                 signers consent to the filing; or

                 (d) By using any other method prescribed by the CoUrt.

             24n-ne-event-Fitaene-signatufe-page-be-signed-in-the- P-2
             electronic form by one party and by hand signature by another
             Paft

      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, effective immediately, Rule 11 of the Temporary
Electronic Filing Rules is amended to include new subsections (c) and (d) as follows:
          (c) Only registered users who are parties or otherwise authorized to
          access confidential, sealed cases may access such cases via the
          Electronic Filing System for Montana Courts.
                                              2
          (d) All registered users of the Electronic Filing System shall take
          immediate steps to remove a staff member's account from the list of
          Authorized Support Staff upon the staff member's change of
          employment and are strongly encouraged to change their Electronic
          Filing System password. Instructions to remove the staff member's
          account from the list of Authorized Support Staff can be found here:
          https://courts.mt.gov/external/efile/instructions/Authorized_Staff.pdf

       The complete text of the Temporary Electronic Filing Rules, as herein amended, is
attached to this Order.
       The Clerk is directed to provide copies of this Order to the Montana State Law
Library, the State Bar of Montana, the Appellate Defender's Office, the Attorney General's
Office, and to each member of the Supreme Court Commission on Technology.
       Dated this -I-9th-day of March, 2024.

                                                              Chief Justice

                                                                        •

                                                                   "J.
                                                                m
                                                                Justices

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