Court Docket Entries

Docket entries are simply a chronological list of all documents and information in a criminal case. These entries also include the proceedings of the different hearings which may be held on different dates. Essentially, docket entries are the factual story of the case, making up a running history of all information which has to do with it. The clerk of courts maintains the docket entries for the court.

Docket entries are typically considered public information unless they are sealed by the courts to protect juveniles or other people involved in the case. These entries may remain sealed or may be opened at a later time by the original judge or through another judge’s order. Some docket records can be subpoenaed if necessary by interested parties who obtain a court order to see them.

Information in Docket Entries

All docket entries should include at least:
 
•    the defendant’s name and plea;
•    the names and addresses of all attorneys of record in the case, when those attorneys appeared, and when they withdrew from the case;
•    notes about all papers and documents filed with the clerk of courts, including notices, appearances, please, motions, orders, verdicts, findings and judgments, sentencing, and so on;
•    details about these documents, including when they were filed or issued, what motions were made, and so on;
•    orders issued orally within the courtroom or directed by the judge;
•    notes about all the proceedings, including continuances and dispositions;
•    where any evidence may be found which was presented in the case

It takes time to make sure all this information is recorded factually and accurately. Docket entries may be computerized or automated but they are not always recorded immediately.

In most cases, this incredibly detailed information is more than most people need to wade through in order to understand the case. However, a detailed docket can help attorneys or people representing themselves in criminal or civil cases to avoid missing deadlines. Certain documents must be filed within a certain number of days of each other, and the docket details the dates and documents on file very carefully.

If you are investigating the proceedings of a certain case, a more condensed version of the docket is found in the proceedings and rulings which are also publically available and contain the summarized details of the case and the final judgments and rulings.

Docket entries may often be researched through your state's judicial branch website. Every state system is different, but a good place to start is with government sources online or visiting the local county clerk's office to determine where the corresponding case file and information is held.