🧾 How to Read a Court Docket or Case File
Your court docket is the official record of everything that happens in your case. It looks confusing at first, but once you know the basics, it becomes a powerful tool to track what’s happening and what’s coming next.
đź“‹ What You'll Usually See
- Case Number: ID code for your case
- Style of Case: “State v. Smith” or “Lopez v. DSS”
- Judge Assigned: The presiding judge
- Parties: Who’s suing who, or who’s being charged
- Charge Code / Cause: What law was broken or issue is being heard
- Events: Hearings, motions, filings — with dates
🧾 Common Abbreviations
- FTA – Failure to Appear
- Nolle Pros – Prosecutor dropped the charge
- MTD – Motion to Dismiss
- PTC – Pretrial Conference
- RCS – Request for Continuance Scheduled
đź“‚ Case File Extras
In your full file, you may also find: affidavits, police reports, transcripts, exhibits, GAL reports, orders, and correspondence. Ask to view or copy your case file at the Clerk’s office — they may charge per page.
🧠Ask Sage
Upload or copy your docket and Ask Sage to help you decode it line by line.