By Star Journal staff

Beginning with the new year, hard files will no longer be available for review in the Oneida County Clerk of Circuit Courts’ office. Clerk Brenda Behrle announced that the office is going paperless, meaning anyone  needing to review a file for a specific document will need to use the public access terminals located at the front counter in the Clerk of Court’s Office. From the terminals copies of documents for purchase can be requested.

According to Behrle, Oneida County began scanning records in 2006 and currently maintains a mix of electronic and paper files. The Clerk of Courts’ office first went paperless with traffic/forfeiture records in October, 2014. As of January 2015, all small claims actions are electronic. In September of this year, e-Filing became voluntary for Family, Civil and Small Claims.

“Storage has been an issue for many years in the Clerk of Court’s office,” Behrle said. “There is just no more room [for paper files].”

But this doesn’t mean the office will not accept paper. When paper documents are filed with the Clerk of Court’s office, staff will file, docket and scan the document.  48 hours after the document has been electronically stored, it may be destroyed. All older files will be scanned as time allows.

The e-Filing option is encouraged to be accessed by all court users including attorneys and individuals not represented by an attorney.

For more information and to view an online demonstration, access http://www.wicourts.gov – click on eFile/eCourts and then click on circuit court e-Filing to get started.