The Associated Press

JACKSON — Mississippi officials unveiled the state’s new electronic court document filing system on Thursday, saying the program will increase public access and streamline procedures for judges and attorneys.

Work is expected to begin soon to hook up the e-filing system in Warren County chancery court, Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. said.

The Mississippi Electronic Courts system is based on a federal program called PACER — Public Access to Court Electronic Records. It will allow attorneys to file pleadings and retrieve documents by way of the Internet. Anyone can register to view the documents.

“We think that public confidence is increased with public access to the courts,” Waller said during a demonstration Thursday.

Waller said Mississippi is the first state to use a program based on the federal system. Texas officials have contacted Mississippi about setting up a similar program, he said.

Public access to documents will be similar to that in the federal system in which users must register online. The Mississippi program is free for now, but there will be fees in the future. Fees and payments to county clerks are still being worked out so it’s not clear how much the program will cost. The federal court program charges 8 cents per page to view electronic records.

Madison County Chancery Court began accepting electronic filings July 22 to kick off the pilot program, said Chancery Clerk Arthur Johnston. The system will become mandatory Sept. 15 for all new cases and for pleadings filed in cases that began on or after May 15.