If you are new to Oregon eCourt, one of your first challenges will be reading and interpreting the online REGISTER OF ACTIONS. Mastering the register is the key to understanding eCourt events, accessing hyperlinked documents, and calculating deadlines.

You will find an explanation of register entries on the main login page for the Oregon eCourt Case Information system (OECI). Refer to the text in pink. This is the only place where the explanation of entries appears, so take note. Once you move off the main login to search case records, the court calendar, or judgments with money awards the explanation disappears.

Explaining the REGISTER OF ACTIONS

The main login page for the (OECI) system provides the following explanation for entries appearing in the REGISTER OF ACTIONS:

Date Column: The nature of an event listed in this register determines the corresponding date that appears in the date column, for example, the date that a document was filed by a party or issued by the court, or the date that the court generated a notice, scheduled a hearing, or took an action in the case.

Signed Date: The Signed Date of an event in this register is the date that the court signed the order or judgment described in the entry.

Created Date: The Created Date of an event in this register is the date that court staff added the event to the register, also known as the entry date for purposes of ORS 7.020(2).

Dispositions and Other Events: In case categories other than Criminal, an event that appears in the Dispositions section of this register denotes entry of a judgment in the case. In the Criminal case category, events that denote entry of judgment appear in the Other Events section of this register, listed in chronological order together with other case events.

Criminal Case Category: For purposes of this system, the Criminal case category includes juvenile delinquency, contempt, and extradition cases, and appeals from justice or municipal court judgments under ORS 138.057 or ORS 157.020(1), justice court orders under ORS 157.020(2), or municipal court convictions under ORS 221.359.

Practice Tip – Use the “Created Date” when Calculating Deadlines

In the OECI system, the “Created Date” is the entry date in the official court register. Don’t be fooled by the date appearing in the “Date Column.” Look for the Created Date and time stamp in the description of the specific court event. Calculate deadlines from this date. Here is a redacted example:

In this instance, the date in the “Date Column” is March 6, 2014. The “Created Date” for the entry is March 7, 2014 at 8:16 AM. Calculate the deadline to file of a Notice of Appeal from the “Created Date” of March 7, 2014, not from March 6, 2014.

REGISTER OF ACTIONS – Main Page View

At the main page view of the REGISTER OF ACTIONS case data is organized into the following categories:

• PARTY INFORMATION – Parties and attorneys in the case
• EVENTS AND ORDERS OF THE COURT – DISPOSITIONS followed by OTHER EVENTS AND HEARINGS
• FINANCIAL INFORMATION – Court fees paid by parties and judgment debtor/creditor information if applicable

The main page view also contains event detail, including the date the court signed an Order or Judgment, the creation date discussed above, and comments entered by court staff. Here is a redacted example of the Main Page view:

Selecting a Hyperlinked Document in the REGISTER OF ACTIONS

Clicking on a hyperlinked document under “Other Events and Hearings” will direct you to a different view of court events. This view does not contain the creation date or comments entered by court staff, but it does show a page count for each document listed. Here is a redacted example:

In this view, the Complaint is sorted to the top because it was the hyperlinked document selected from the main page view. “Other Events on This Case” appears next, with events in ascending order (first to last). Hearing Notices are at the bottom of the page.

If you do not have permission to see a document in the REGISTER OF ACTIONS, the following message will appear:

The Most Important Takeaway

At the risk of repeating myself, don’t be fooled by the “Date Column” in the REGISTER OF ACTIONS. Look for the “Created Date” and time stamp in the description of the specific court event. Calculate deadlines from this date. The “Created Date” of an event is the date court staff added the event to the register, also known as the entry date for purposes of ORS 7.020(2).

All Rights Reserved [2014] Beverly Michaelis