§ 6-1520.Transcript and bill of exceptions checkout.

Court records like transcripts and bills of exceptions increasingly live in electronic form, and Section 6-1520 spells out how someone without direct access to the court’s electronic system can still see them. Anyone lacking access to the court-authorized service can inspect the record at a computer terminal in the clerk’s office, though confidential or sealed records stay off-limits without a court’s permission. The clerk will not print a paper copy unless the person asking for it pays for it — unless that person has been allowed to proceed in forma pauperis, in which case the first copy comes free.

The rule pays particular attention to incarcerated people, who cannot walk into the clerk’s office to use a terminal. When an incarcerated person requests a transcript of pleadings for an appeal, the clerk prints and mails a copy to the correctional center, at that person’s cost unless they qualify for in forma pauperis treatment. A request for a bill of exceptions works the same way, though the copy sent includes only the index of exhibits, not the exhibits themselves — a person wanting copies of exhibits has to file a separate motion with the court.

Beyond the first free copy for someone proceeding in forma pauperis, additional copies generally come at that litigant’s own expense, absent good cause shown otherwise. And where no case is even pending — someone wants a copy after the fact, still on an in forma pauperis basis — the rule requires a showing of good cause and a court order before a copy will be printed.