Using the Courts’ Web Site - Opinion Files

(How to Download and View)

These instructions assume the use of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Other browsers, such as Netscape Navigator will operate in a similar, although not identical fashion.

Downloading Files

First things first: What is downloading? In simple terms, it means copying a file from another computer to your own. For example if you wanted to save an opinion file from our web site onto the hard drive in your computer so that you could open it later in WordPerfect. Below is an example of a listing of opinion files:

Please note that references to left and right mouse buttons assumes that you have not reversed your buttons. I f you are left-handed and have reversed your buttons, please make the necessary translations.

If you wish to save one of these files to the hard drive in your computer, move your cursor over the underlined case name and notice that it changes to a hand with a finger pointing to the object. Now, simply click the left mouse button while the hand is pointing to the underlined case name. This should produce a dialogue box resembling the one shown here:

We highly recommend selecting “Save this file to disk”. The results from choosing the other option is at best, spotty and limited. It only takes a minute or two to save the file, even at the very slowest of connections. Click OK and the following window will open:

This is a critical point in the process. Pay close attention to where the file is being saved, so you can find it to open in your word processor, later.

Another method of downloading a file is to click the right mouse button. This produces a menu as shown below:

Choose the “Save Target As” option. This is the equivalent of the choice of “Save this file to disk” as shown above.

Viewing Files Online

If, instead of downloading the file, you wish to view the file online, you may click on the word View, located to the right of the case number as shown in the illustrations above.

Most opinion files may be viewed using AdobeAcrobat® Reader. Clicking on View will load the file into therReader (if you have it installed on your system), and you will be able to view the file in its original format without going through the process of downloading the file to your system. If you do not have the reader installed on your system, you can download the program here .

Pay close attention to where the file is saved on your computer! Please note, that the file you download is the installation file. The mere process of downloading will NOT allow you to view files. You must click on the file that you download (AcroReader51_ENU.exe, for example). This will install the reader on your system, so that in the future anytime you click on "view" the file will automatically be loaded into the reader and presented for you to view.

Early opinion files were processed with Corel Barista®, and while many of these have been converted to the Adobe Acrobat Reader format some may still use the earlier technology. Clicking on View for these opinions may run a java applet that will enable the opinions to be viewed page by page in their original format. This method of viewing the opinions is not as simple and quick as the later method, using Adobe Acrobat®, and in some instances, depending on the software installed on your system, may fail altogether. We apologize for any inconvenience or frustration that this may cause, but you are then left with only the option to download the file and use your word processor to view the opinion.