Fifth Court of Appeals
Solution provides secure access to view case documents, saving time and money
Dallas, Texas – September 19, 2016 – The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas became the first appellate court in the state to provide secure, online access for appellate attorneys to view case documents not available to the public through the Texas Appellate Management and eFiling System (TAMES) Attorney Portal. While the court provides access to certain documents and opinions filed in cases through its public website, documents that are not available to the public have long been a barrier to attorneys practicing before the court. The documents that are available to the attorneys in the case via the Attorney Portal include the clerk’s record and court reporter’s record. These documents are essential for appellate attorneys to use in preparing their appellate arguments to the court.
Fifth Court of Appeals Chief Justice Carolyn Wright, who has been the chief justice of the court since 2009, announced the release of the new portal. “The TAMES Attorney Portal is something that this court has been working on for several months. Our goal is to make practicing before this court as user-friendly as possible. The TAMES Attorney Portal provides secure, online access to documents that will save attorneys time and money. In the past, attorneys had to obtain the records from the clerk. Ultimately, these time and financial savings can be passed along to the attorneys’ clients. The court and the legal community owe a sincere debt of gratitude to David Slayton, Administrative Director, of the Office of Court Administration, and Ruben Morin, Clerk of the Court, and their dedicated staff for implementation of this outstanding project.”
The Fifth Court of Appeals was the pilot court for this system that will ultimately be made available for use in all appellate courts in the state, including the Supreme Court of Texas. Attorneys interested in gaining access to the TAMES Attorney Portal should contact the clerk’s office for more information.
About the Fifth Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas has jurisdiction over appeals from both district and county courts located in Dallas, Collin, Grayson, Hunt, Rockwall, and Kaufman counties. The Court hears both civil and criminal appeals. The Fifth Court of Appeals with its thirteen justices is the largest intermediate appellate court in Texas and one of the busiest appellate courts in the nation.
Contact Information
Ruben Morin, Clerk of Court
214-712-3400
5ththeclerk@txcourts.gov