Rule 100 - Court Organization
Rule 100.4.1 - Reproduction, Preservation, Archival Storage and Disposal of Original Circuit Court Files and Their Content
1. The microphotographing, archival storage, destruction or other disposal of circuit court files and their contents which have been closed for ten years or wherein no action has been taken for that period are hereby authorized. These procedures shall be undertaken only when ordered by the Presiding Judge or the Court en banc and shall be performed under the direction of the Court Administrator.
2. Prior to the destruction or other disposition of any such record microphotographed, the Presiding Judge shall determine either by personal inspection or by the use of a committee established for that purpose, that the records as reproduced are as legible and as faithful to the originals as reasonably possible.
3. The microphotographs shall be stored and indexed in such a manner as to ensure ready retrieval for their customary use, and as to preserve them.
4. A convenient area, equipped with suitable viewing apparatus, shall be designated and set aside in each of the offices of the Court Administrator of Jackson County, for viewing such records.
5. The Presiding Judge shall appoint a committee consisting of at least one judge and one lawyer of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri and one layman. The Committee shall examine and evaluate such files among those microphotographed as may appear to it to possess historical, cultural or other unique value. Should any such files and their contents be determined to be of such value, they shall not be destroyed but may either be retained by the Court or be given to any organization committed to the public purpose of archival storage and use. Files and their contents may be destroyed only upon specific order of the Presiding Judge or the Court en banc.
6. Orders authorizing the microphotographing, preservation, archival storage and disposal of circuit court files and their contents shall specify such files by number or other descriptive designation. Copies of such orders shall be retained in the offices of the Court Administrator and shall constitute an index of the records affected.
12/19/80