Following a cyber attack in October 2023, the online portal for accessing Kansas district court cases is now operational, marking its return after a prolonged outage.
The attack, which incapacitated the system since October 12, 2023, disrupted public access to court records both within the court premises and remotely. Furthermore, it caused setbacks in ongoing cases as it affected the Kansas eCourt case management system utilized by district courts for case processing.
Although the Kansas Judicial Branch acknowledges that the portal’s information is presently outdated due to a shift towards paper filings by attorneys in recent months, the majority of public data from the case management system is available on the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal. This portal also facilitates online payments for fines, fees, and costs.
Chief Justice Marla Luckert emphasized the significance of restoring online case searches as a crucial achievement within their restoration plan, part of the broader Kansas eCourt modernization strategy. However, recent payment data and associated cases might exhibit discrepancies temporarily. To manage this, the Central Payment Center within the Office of Judicial Administration is logging payments in the interim.
Efforts are underway to digitize paper-based case information that accumulated during the online shutdown. Once this digitization is complete, additional data will be incorporated into the case management system. However, events and documents from after the security incident on October 12, 2023, may not currently reflect in the system.
In an update on the restoration progress, courts in 102 out of Kansas’ 105 counties, encompassing 29 of the state’s 31 judicial districts, have regained access to the Kansas eCourt case management system. The Johnson County District Court, currently operating on a separate system, anticipates integration into the Kansas eCourt system in 2024.
