How to Read a Court Docket: Terms Reporters Should Know

What is a court docket, and why do reporters start there?

A docket is the running list of the official information about a case, according to the Harvard Cyberlaw Clinic ^[1]. Think of it as the table of contents for a lawsuit or a criminal case. It shows what was filed and what the court did about it ^[1].

The federal judiciary says reporters must rely on the official case proceedings as their primary information source ^[2]. The docket is your map to those proceedings. Start there, then open the documents it lists.

You do not need a law degree to do this. The federal judiciary says reporters do not need one to cover federal courts ^[2]. It adds that you must understand legal jargon and be able to translate it for readers or viewers ^[2].

This guide focuses on federal dockets. Harvard's guide says state court docket systems vary widely, so we flag the limits near the end ^[1].

Video from Shorenstein Center (Harvard Kennedy School). Open at youtube.com. Content from youtube.com loads only if you click.

Where do you find a federal docket?

Anyone can use PACER to view federal court records, but you must register for a PACER account first ^[3]. Each federal court maintains its own case information ^[3].

If you are not sure which court holds the case, try the PACER Case Locator. It is a national index of federal district, bankruptcy and appellate court records ^[3]. PACER says the index is updated every 24 hours, typically nightly ^[3]. A filing made this morning may not appear yet, so check the court's own docket if you need the latest ^[3].

The federal judiciary says journalists have the same access to courthouses and court records as other members of the public ^[2]. You do not need special status to read a docket. If you also want a record that documents your work as a reporter, read our guide to press credentials for independent reporters.

The Supreme Court runs its own docket search. You can subscribe to a case and get an email each time there is a new filing or action by the Court ^[4]. That is a quick way to follow a case without checking it every day.

What does PACER cost, and how do you keep fees down?

PACER caps its per-document charge at $3 ^[5]. Searches cost money too. PACER charges based on the pages a search generates, even when it shows "no matches found." ^[5]

So search with care. Get the court and the case name or number from a news report, a press release, or a source before you start. Search by case number rather than party name, and PACER says you go directly to the case without a charge ^[5].

You can also limit what a Docket Report lists by using the filters PACER provides ^[5]. Fees can change. Check PACER's pricing page for the current rules before you budget for a story ^[5].

How is a docket laid out?

A docket usually has four main sections: the caption, general case information, party information, and the list of docket entries ^[1]. Read the top sections first. They show which case you have and who the parties are ^[1].

The entries are where the story lives. They list what was filed and what the court did about it ^[1]. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 79, each civil docket entry must briefly show the nature of the paper filed or writ issued ^[6]. It must also show the substance of each proof of service ^[6]. And it must show the substance and date of each order and judgment ^[6].

That word "briefly" matters. A docket line is a label, not the document. Open the filing before you quote it or describe it.

Document · Supreme Court of the United States

Docket for No. 26A90, Mahmoud Khalil, Applicant v. Donald J. Trump, et al.

Open at supremecourt.gov

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How do you read a single docket entry?

By default, entries run in chronological order with the earliest events at the top ^[1]. That means the newest entries are usually at the bottom of a long docket. Check the sort order, since a default can be changed ^[1].

Look at the entry number first. A numbered entry is a filing, meaning an event with one or more associated documents, typically PDFs ^[1]. Those are the entries worth opening.

Entries without numbers are usually administrative events. Examples are notices of appearance, hearing schedules, or orders granting unopposed motions ^[1]. Do not skip them. A hearing schedule shows when a hearing is set, and most pretrial hearings are open to the public, though either party may ask the judge to close certain proceedings ^[2]. ^[1]

Which docket terms should every reporter know?

Here are the terms that come up most often. Each comes from the sources in this guide.

• Motion: Motions are easy to spot because the docket entries say MOTION in all caps ^[1].
• Consent or unopposed: One party is making the filing, and the other party has agreed not to oppose it ^[1].
• Joint or agreed: The parties agreed on the content of the filing and cosigned it ^[1].
• Complaint (civil): A civil case starts when the plaintiff files a complaint, so it is usually the first docket entry ^[1].
• Indictment, information, or complaint (criminal): Criminal cases generally start when a prosecutor files one of these three documents ^[1].
• Jury: When a jury trial has been properly demanded or ordered, the clerk must enter the word "jury" in the civil docket ^[6].
• Judgment: A dispositive order, such as one granting a motion to dismiss or deciding a case on appeal, is usually followed by a JUDGMENT entry ^[1].
• Under seal: A federal court may order that a filing be made under seal without redaction ^[7].

If a term is not on this list, look it up before you use it in a story. The federal judiciary says you need to translate legal jargon for your audience ^[2]. Guessing at a term is how corrections happen.

Step by step: how do you read a docket from complaint to judgment?

Work through the docket in this order.

1. Confirm the case. Check the caption and the party information so you know you have the right case ^[1].
2. Find the first entry. In a civil case, expect the complaint ^[1]. In a criminal case, expect an indictment, an information, or a complaint ^[1].
3. Read forward in time. By default, the earliest events sit at the top and the list moves chronologically ^[1].
4. Sort numbered from unnumbered entries. Numbered ones are filings with documents. Unnumbered ones are usually administrative ^[1].
5. Flag the motions. Look for MOTION in all caps, and note any marked consent or unopposed ^[1].
6. Check for a jury. In a civil case, the word "jury" appears when a jury trial has been properly demanded or ordered ^[6].
7. Find the orders and the judgment. Look for the date and substance of each order ^[6]. A dispositive order is usually followed by a JUDGMENT entry ^[1].
8. Check the last entry. If the case was appealed, removed to federal court from state court, or transferred, that event will usually be the last entry on the original docket ^[1].
9. Open the documents. The federal judiciary says reporters must rely on the official case proceedings as their primary information source, so read the filings ^[2].

If you stop at step 8, you may miss the part of the story that sits in the filings. The docket tells you where to look.

What can't you see on a docket, and why?

Some entries link to documents you cannot open, and some documents have blacked-out text. There are rules behind both.

A federal court may order a filing made under seal without redaction ^[7]. The court may later unseal the filing or order a redacted version for the public record ^[7].

Redaction is the filer's job, not the clerk's. The committee note to Rule 5.2 says the responsibility rests with counsel and the party or nonparty making the filing ^[7]. PACER says the same: it is the filer's responsibility to make sure private information is not in the case files ^[3].

Some case types have special limits. Rule 5.2 sets special electronic file access rules, unless the court orders otherwise, for Social Security benefit actions ^[7]. It does the same for actions relating to removal, relief from removal, or immigration benefits or detention ^[7]. If you cover those areas, read the rule before you assume a file is open.

If a document you need is missing, ask the court. PACER says to contact the federal court where the case is filed for information beyond the case summary, docket entries, and copies of documents ^[3].

Are state dockets the same, and how do you verify before you publish?

No. Harvard's guide says state court docket systems vary widely, and its federal advice should not be assumed to apply to them ^[1]. Learn how your state's system labels entries before you rely on it. Check your state's law and your local court's website.

Before you publish, run a short check.

• Read the filing itself, not just the docket line ^[6].
• Note the date and time you viewed the docket. Cases move, and dockets change.
• Check whether a later entry changed the picture, such as an order or a judgment ^[1].
• Remember that the PACER Case Locator index is updated about every 24 hours, typically nightly, so very new case information may not show there yet ^[3]. The PACER index updates about nightly ^[3].

Keep notes on which docket you read and when. If you want a way to document your work as a reporter, see how a press credential can document your work. It does not change what records you can see. The federal judiciary says journalists have the same access to court records as other members of the public ^[2].

If you report on your own and want a professional home for your work, you can join the National Press Association. Then go back to the docket. That is where the reporting starts.