About eCourts Initiatives | North Carolina Judicial Branch

What is eCourts?

eCourts is a package of new software applications and technology infrastructure improvements that will transition our court system from paper to digital. The major components include the following:

eFiling: web-based platform for electronic filing of documents
Enterprise Justice (Odyssey): digital integrated case management system (ICMS)
Portal: public website access for viewing records and making payments
Guide & File: assists users in creating basic legal documents
File & Serve: assists users in filing and serving legal documents
Attorney Manager (DA): case management platform for District Attorneys
Attorney Manager (PD): case management platform for Public Defenders
eDiscovery: platform enabling District Attorneys to share digital evidence
eWarrants: electronic warrant repository
Enforcement Mobile (Brazos): electronic citation platform
CRAVE: courtroom audio visual enhancements
Financial Manager: financial management system for Clerks of Court
eCourtNet: infrastructure overhauls and security upgrades

Although many of these components have already been successfully implemented statewide, most users will primarily engage with eFiling, Portal, and Enterprise Justice (Odyssey), which will be phased in over a two-year period beginning in 2023.

Benefits

Provides 24/7 statewide service to all Judicial Branch employees, attorneys, and public users
Provides web-based access to court records and documents
Streamlines court administration
Provides greater case management ability
Enhances disaster recovery (fire and flooding)
Reduces paper forms
Increases access to justice and the courts
Facilitates remote testimony through increased audio/video capabilities
- Out of town witnesses, experts, and other witnesses can testify virtually
- Law enforcement can appear virtually for testimony or warrant applications
- Victims of violence or abuse can testify virtually, reducing the trauma of being in the same room as their abuser
- Inmates can appear virtually reducing travel and costs and safety concerns for sheriffs and corrections officials
eCourts Kiosks available in courthouses with scanners, printers, and payment services for the public

eCourts Fact Sheet

eCourts Advisory Committee Meetings

Enterprise Justice (Odyssey)
Upgrading from 40+ Applications to an Integrated Case Management System

FROM in-house, NCAOC-built, multiple case management / index systems housed on mainframes.

TO vendor-provided and hosted integrated case management system hosted in the cloud with eFiling for all case types.

24/7 Electronic Access Benefits All North Carolinians

Provides 24/7 statewide service to judges, magistrates, district attorneys, clerks, law enforcement, attorneys, and the public — across rural and urban areas
Small business owners (after-hours access)
Law enforcement officers (remote appearances)
Rural North Carolinians (reduced travel to courthouses)
Victims of domestic violence (reduces the emotional trauma of in-person appearance)
Sheriffs and corrections officers (inmates appearing virtually reduces security risks and transportation costs)
Families (remote appearances for children and guardians ad litem in custody disputes)
Doctors and expert witnesses (remote appearances means less time waiting in court and cost reduction)
Attorneys (increased availability of records and ease of case management)
Judicial officials (swifter administration of justice)

Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) Products Replacing Older Legacy Systems

Tyler Technologies’ Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) suite will replace older legacy systems and integrate all of these products into one total case management solution including eFiling, financial management, and document management for all case types. This new system will bring higher efficiencies to the justice system, electronic access to information, reduce manual processes and reliance on paper, and increase collaboration among court officials, lawyers, and law enforcement officers. Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) specific products include the following:

Navigator

Case Manager™

Track all aspects of court administration, from eFiling through disposition, and manage highly sensitive data about court cases.
Use streamlined electronic processes and eliminate paper handling.

Attorney Manager™

Manage caseloads and track critical data.
Aids both prosecuting attorney and public defender offices by organizing and maintaining case data for hearing and trial preparation.
Review, gather, and track essential information for both criminal and non-criminal case types by using case statuses, witnesses, victims, evidence, statistics, and related case information.

Financial Manager

Manages the entire transaction audit trail — from account management to financial transactions and check processing — without having to rely on a third-party financial application.
Users can verify payment forms, produce a summary of financial activity, and much more.

Tyler Technologies logo

eSolutions

File & Serve™ (eFiling)

Enables you to file documents electronically through a single, secure, centralized online location.

Guide & File

Launched statewide August 2020, the free online service available to help self-represented litigants and attorneys to prepare court documents online to file for certain case types.

Portal

Allows the general public and registered users to access court information including: view case information, records, and documents; and make instant online credit card transactions to pay fines and fees.

In-Courtroom Processing

Judge Edition and Clerk Edition

Provide in-courtroom processing to support electronic court record management workflow and high-speed data entry.
Include judicial workbench for access to electronic court records by justices and judges.

Older Computer Applications Will Not Be Updated

The new case management system will replace older systems such as ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, and CCIS-PD. To support this new work, NCAOC is realigning its resources so that older systems can be maintained until they are retired, the infrastructure can be redesigned and updated to support the new technology, and the new system can be configured and launched statewide. Because older legacy systems are being replaced, NCAOC has suspended all enhancements to these old systems.

Note: It is important to be aware that users will no longer be able to use legacy systems (for example, ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, CCIS-PD, JWISE, CASEWISE) for inquiry into eCourts counties once they go live on Enterprise Justice (Odyssey). You will instead use Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) for inquiry (i.e., lookup) of cases in counties who have switched to Enterprise Justice (Odyssey).

eCourts Tracks

Track	Counties	Target Go-Live Date
Track 1 - Pilot	Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake	February 13, 2023
Track 2	Mecklenburg	October 9, 2023
Track 3	Beaufort, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington	February 5, 2024
Track 4	Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Orange, Person, Vance, Warren	April 29, 2024
Track 5	Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain, Transylvania	July 22, 2024
Track 6	Anson, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly, Union	October 14, 2024

N.C. Courts County Codes - Find county codes / numbers for court applications and Enterprise Justice (Odyssey).
Supreme Court Adopts Electronic-Filing Rules for the Implementation of eCourts
General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts
Note: It is important to be aware that users will no longer be able to use legacy systems (for example, ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, CCIS-PD, JWISE, CASEWISE) for inquiry into eCourts counties once they go live on Enterprise Justice (Odyssey). You will instead use Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) for inquiry (i.e., lookup) of cases in counties that have switched to Enterprise Justice (Odyssey).

Features of the Rollout Plan

Counties will have appropriate technology equipment installed before their go-live date.
All counties in a district rollout at the same time.
Avoiding coastal areas during peak hurricane season. Avoiding mountains during winter.
Providing ranges for go-live dates while retaining some scheduling flexibility.
Counties will receive their target go-live date and will begin preparations before their track rollout.

Additional eCourts Initiatives and Projects Launched

eCourts Initiative	Primary Audience	Go-Live Date
Guide & File	Self-represented litigants, public, and attorneys	Launched August 31, 2020
eCourtNet	Courtrooms, employees, public, attorneys	Launched Q4 2020 - 2021
Enforcement Mobile (Brazos; Tyler eCitation Solution)	Pilot Law Enforcement Agencies (5)	Launched December 7 – 9, 2020
Enforcement Mobile (Brazos; Tyler eCitation Solution)	Statewide – remaining eCitation law enforcement agencies	Launched January 18 – April 30, 2021 (Agencies were sequenced and scheduled for rollout)
eWarrants / NCAWARE Replacement (Tyler eWarrants / Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) for Magistrates)	Statewide (Magistrates, Clerks, Law Enforcement)	Launched July 22, 2022

CRAVE (Courtroom Audio Visual Experience) Project

The Judicial Branch has launched the CRAVE (Courtroom Audio Visual Experience) Project to further enhance the capability to safely and securely hold remote court proceedings. The immersive courtroom audio video infrastructure inside the courtroom includes numerous cameras, microphones, and monitors.

eCourtNet - Infrastructure Improvement Project

eCourtNet, the infrastructure improvement project piloted in counties during fourth quarter of 2020, launched throughout the state in 2021. These upgrades serve as the foundation for the new Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) implementation and support other applications and tools that will be offered to all Judicial Branch staff.

Embracing the eCourts vision to expand access to justice, additional technology initiatives underway within the Judicial Branch are providing the building blocks for future technologies necessary to modernize the courts. This includes:

Court facility ICMS infrastructure
Court facility wireless expansion
Courtroom audio / visual enhancements
Electronic faxing

Identity & access management
Network infrastructure upgrades
Security expansion
and more

Enforcement Mobile (Brazos; eCitation Replacement)

The eCitation cutoff / Enforcement Mobile (Brazos) launched April 30, 2021.
Enforcement Mobile (Brazos) is Here! New eCourts eCitation Replacement System Launched in Five Pilot North Carolina Law Enforcement Agencies
- Video
- Fact Sheet
Statewide replacement of North Carolina’s current electronic citation system, eCITATION.
Electronic citation solution for the court system and law enforcement agencies that provides citation information immediately available to court users statewide.
Provides additional advantages, integrates, and improves efficiencies with the integrated case management system (ICMS).

What is eCourts?

Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) Upgrading from 40+ Applications to an Integrated Case Management System

eCourts Tracks

Features of the Rollout Plan

Additional eCourts Initiatives and Projects Launched

Enterprise Justice (Odyssey)
Upgrading from 40+ Applications to an Integrated Case Management System