Court Cases: Research Tools and Source Verification

Free Law Project’s RECAP Archive searches collected federal dockets and PACER documents. It is the first stop for a free copy, including text extracted from scanned filings.

1. Choose RECAP search. Enter a case name or put the known number in the Docket Number field.
2. Narrow by jurisdiction and date. Select the PDF availability filter when you need a downloadable filing.
3. Open the docket and match the entry number, attachment and filed date before saving the PDF.

Example: Use Case Name “Giuffre v. Maxwell” and Docket Number “1:15-cv-07433”, or open the known docket.

Read the result: Search results locate records in the archive. A missing PDF or stale docket does not establish that the court has no such document. Search the original PDF, not only an OCR snippet.

Access: Public archive searching and available downloads are free. Account features and paid data services are separate. CourtListener help.

PACER is the federal judiciary’s official electronic records service. Use the nationwide Case Locator when the filing court is unknown; use the specific court when the court and case number are known.

1. Register for a case search account if needed. Use the court lookup to reach the correct court.
2. Enter the complete case number. Limit the docket report to the dates needed.
3. Check the billable page count and price before opening a document. Save the docket context with the downloaded filing.

Example: Court: Southern District of New York. Case: “1:20-cr-00330”, United States v. Maxwell.

Read the result: The Case Locator identifies cases; it is not a universal full text search of all attachments. Public access does not include sealed records. Separate trial and appeal numbers must be searched separately.

Access: An account is required. Registration is free; record access can generate charges. Registration and court search versus Case Locator.

PACER cost check before opening records

As of October 11, 2026, PACER charges US$0.10 per page. A document or case specific report is generally capped at US$3. The cap does not apply to transcripts, name searches or reports that are not case specific. Even a search returning no matches can incur a charge. Some court audio costs US$2.40 per file. Fees are waived when total use is US$30 or less in a calendar quarter; crossing that threshold is not an allowance for US$30 of free use.

The judiciary has announced a temporary change effective January 1, 2027: US$0.12 per page and a US$40 quarterly waiver threshold. Recheck the live schedule before paid research. Court opinions are free, and courthouse public terminals provide free viewing.

Current PACER pricing · Announced 2027 fee change

The DOJ Disclosures page now consolidates the former Court Records collection. It groups released records by case and also links the numbered disclosure datasets.

1. Open DOJ Disclosures and expand Court Records.
2. Choose the exact caption and case number. Open a file, then read its court caption and docket stamp.
3. Record both the EFTA identifier and any original docket or exhibit number. Check the page against the court docket when chronology or procedural status matters.

Example: Choose United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330.

Read the result: This is a selected released collection, not a substitute for the complete current docket. DOJ redactions can differ from earlier public copies. An EFTA number identifies a release file rather than a new court filing.

Access: Public government collection with no record purchase charge. The site presents an age confirmation and a sensitive material notice; respect them.

GovInfo provides an official searchable collection of opinions from participating federal courts. Coverage generally begins in 2004 and varies by court and period.

1. Open the United States Courts Opinions collection or select it in Advanced Search.
2. Search the party, case number or a distinctive phrase. Refine by court and date.
3. Open the Details page and PDF. Check associated opinions in the same case.

Example: Basic Search: collection:uscourts partyname:Epstein. If too broad, use the known case number in Advanced Search.

Read the result: An opinion collection contains judicial decisions, not every complaint, exhibit or motion. Check whether the quoted passage is the court’s finding, a summary of a party’s claim or procedural background.

Access: Free public search and downloads. Official coverage and search instructions.

House committee releases provide official entry points to produced records, congressional interviews and exhibit collections. These are congressional records even when they include copies of court documents.

1. Start from the committee’s release page, checking the publication date and what the release says it contains.
2. Follow its own document or video links rather than a reposted screenshot.
3. Match a cited exhibit or production stamp to the actual document. For testimony, retain the witness, session date and transcript page.

Example: Search the committee site for “Gates and Groff Transcripts”, then open its official transcript release.

Read the result: A committee statement and an attached record are different sources. A congressional interview is not a court judgment, and publication does not independently prove the statements made in it.

Access: Public release pages and linked public materials carry no purchase fee. Some external players or file hosts need JavaScript.

The Palm Beach clerk’s official search covers civil, criminal and traffic cases. Document images generally run from late 2008 onward, with earlier records available case by case.

1. Choose the guest option for ordinary public searches.
2. Use the case number where possible; otherwise search a party name and compare the caption, case type and dates.
3. Open the docket and available document image. Keep the full case number and entry date.

Example: Use the DOJ collection’s Palm Beach case number “50-2019-CA-014681-XXXX-MB” for CA Florida Holdings v. Aronberg, checking the portal’s required formatting.

Read the result: Earlier images and restricted case types may be unavailable online. Do not confuse a search listing with a complete file or a certified copy. Respect any CAPTCHA or access restriction.

Access: Guest searching and available uncertified documents are free. Certified copies are a separate purchase. Clerk’s access and fee FAQ.

Use the territorial judiciary’s own Cases Online entry point for Superior Court and Supreme Court matters. A federal case naming the Virgin Islands may instead be filed in a United States district court.

1. Follow Search Cases Online from the judiciary page, rather than an electronic filing action.
2. Search the exact territorial case number or caption. Confirm the division and year.
3. For an opinion, follow the Superior Court’s current public opinion portal and compare its citation to the docket.

Example: The DOJ release lists “Maxwell v. Estate of Jeffrey Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-155”. Treat that as a territorial lookup, not a PACER case number.

Read the result: The judiciary has moved newer opinions into its public portal. An older website archive or an empty search is not a complete account of the proceeding.

Access: The judiciary provides a public search entry point. Current account requirements and any document charges must be checked in the portal; no blanket free download claim is made. Current opinion access notice.

Related reading: Virgin Islands Court Filings

Tommy Carstensen’s Giuffre v. Maxwell index presents a local finding aid to that specific docket, credits CourtListener/RECAP and distinguishes available from unavailable documents. The separate testimony page connects testimony to source records.

1. Confirm the case at the top of the docket index.
2. Search the description or docket number, then narrow by type, year or availability.
3. Open the PDF or Docket link. Use the testimony guide to find related transcripts while preserving the proceeding and date.

Example: Search “1360” to inspect that entry and its separately numbered attachments. A reference such as 1360-3 means an attachment, not page three.

Read the result: The page is a secondary index to one docket. Its totals include unavailable items and should not be treated as a count of independently verified facts. Verify the original caption and later docket activity.

Access: Public pages opened without a login or payment prompt. The index explicitly identifies some documents as PACER only.

Related reading: Tommy Carstensen’s archive guide

Epstein Data links corpus documents to extracted case numbers through its Document Cases table and provides a Cases discovery area. This helps connect an EFTA file with litigation mentioned inside it.

1. Start with the full text corpus or public Search page. Search the full number, then a shorter distinctive number if punctuation defeats the search.
2. Inspect the document caption rather than relying on the automated case label.
3. Carry the court, case number and docket entry into CourtListener, PACER or the appropriate local court search.

Example: Search “1:15-cv-07433” or “15-cv-07433”. Use Document Cases to inspect how a record was associated with a case.

Read the result: A file can mention another case without being filed in it. Automated extraction and OCR can misassign cases. The Cases landing page was not reliably retrievable at the check date; corpus search is the practical fallback.

Access: Public landing pages and indexed tables are available without a paid account. Individual database routes can change or redirect. Use the site navigation rather than guessed endpoints.

Related reading: Epstein Data research database guide