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Judge Stackhouse outlines April 28 eCourts transition, warns of short-term slowdown
Summary
Chief District Court Judge Curtis Stackhouse briefed the commissioners on the statewide eCourts transition scheduled for April 28, 2025, explaining the reasons for the change, anticipated early-case-capacity limits, and how the shift will affect clerks, judges and public access to case files.
Chief District Court Judge Curtis Stackhouse told the Wayne County Board of Commissioners on April 1 that the county’s district courts will transition to the statewide eCourts case-management system on April 28, 2025, and that the first weeks after transition will emphasize learning and reduced court capacity.
Stackhouse, newly appointed chief district court judge for the district that includes Wayne, Lenoir and Greene counties, said the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has led a multi-year effort to replace paper case files with an integrated electronic case-management platform. He said eCourts will make public records — except for restricted juvenile dockets — available via an online portal, reduce the need for in-person file searches and allow judges, clerks, the district attorney and other court users to retrieve files across county lines.
Stackhouse said Wake County and other tracks have already transitioned and that track 8 (which includes Wayne County) will go live April 28. He warned the board that the initial weeks will be focused on training and stabilization rather than throughput: AOC has encouraged a limited initial caseload for the first two weeks, and the courtrooms and clerk’s office will have AOC technical staff on site to assist. He said clerks will bear much of the preparation burden (scanning files and preparing materials) and acknowledged some staff have left other districts during past transitions.
The judge said citizens will use a portal to search public records by case number or party name, and he gave an example of a judge in another county who could instantly retrieve a protective order from a different county rather than request a scanned CD and a continuance. He also said judges will attend training sessions in Greenville ahead of the transition and that local courtroom hardware and IT have been upgraded in partnership with county staff.
Stackhouse asked for commissioners’ patience during the initial ramp-up and thanked the county for logistical and hardware support ahead of the transition.
