Public Access Workflow
When information about a particular case is needed, the public typically makes a trip to the courthouse. Parking may be a problem, especially in larger cities. Finding the right courthouse may be another problem, especially in larger cities with multiple courts and court locations. Once the public arrives at the court house, s/he must often find the right court or division  and often must wait in line before asking the counter clerk to retrieve the requested case file. The public then reviews the file and documents searching for a piece of information, either at the counter or a separate area near the counter. When completed, the public then returns the case file to the counter clerk. If the public requests photo copies, additional forms may need to be filled out. 

Court Clerk Workflow
There is another viewpoint from the clerk’s perspective. The case file must be logged out and then logged in when returned. The clerk must find the file and pull it from the file cabinet. If an “old” file, it may need to be retrieved from the basement or off-site storage. When the public is finished with the case file, the clerk must then re-shelve the file. Often there is a time lapse to re-shelving the case file, due to required assistance at the counter. During that time, the case file is unavailable to anyone else who may need to review the case file or information. 

Accessing Public Records
Public access to court records can be provided in one or more of three basic ways: 

• through printed output generated by the court’s computer system;
• through court owned and operated computer workstations located in the courthouse;
• remotely through computers owned and controlled by the public or by intermediaries, like public libraries or through 3rd party providers.