Obtaining Copies
Court Seal
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA

Teresa L. Deppner, Clerk
Ted Philyaw, Chief Probation Officer
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I. Obtaining Copies of Documents

The fee for copy work is $.50 per page, which must be paid in advance of the service. Copy work may be requested in person, by phone, or by mail.

To request copies by phone, call the appropriate divisional office (see below): You will need to provide a case name and/or number and, if known, a document number. The Clerk's Office will calculate the cost and notify you by phone so you can arrange payment.

To request copies by mail: Send letter requests to the appropriate divisional office (see below): Your request should include a case name and/or number, document number if known, your name, and daytime telephone number. If you know the number of pages, you should submit a check for the cost. If you do not know the number of pages, the cost of the copies will be calculated and you will be notified by phone. Payment must be made prior to the copies being prepared and mailed.

Clerk’s Office at Beckley
P. O. Drawer 5009
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 253-7481

Clerk’s Office at Bluefield
P. O. Box 4128
Bluefield, WV 24701
(304) 327-9798

Clerk’s Office at Charleston
P. O. Box 2546
Charleston, WV 25329
(304) 347-3000

Clerk’s Office at Huntington
P. O. Box 1570
Huntington, WV 25716
(304) 529-5588

Clerk’s Office at Parkersburg
425 Juliana Street, Room 5102
Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 420-6490

II. Access to Closed Court Records

Closed cases may have been shipped for storage to the Federal Records Center (FRC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You must contact the Clerk's Office to determine the location of the closed file you want to view or copy. Records can be retrieved from the FRC in Philadelphia in two ways.

● Through the Clerk's Office - The Clerk's Office can order the closed file from the FRC for you. The fee for retrieving a closed file from the FRC is $45.00, which must be paid in advance. This fee does not include the cost of any copies you may request.

● Directly from the NARA - You may obtain copies of closed files from the FRC in Philadelphia. Instructions for ordering copies directly from the FRC are contained in Section III below.

III. Accessing Stored Records from the FRC

The Mid Atlantic Region makes available for review and copying closed civil and criminal case files from Federal courts in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Records may be ordered online, by FAX, by E-Mail or by telephone. If you do not use their online service, it is strongly suggested by the FRC that you FAX or E-Mail your order to them at the FAX number and E-Mail address located on each request form.

Court records retired before 1972, with some exceptions, are stored at the Regional Archives facility located at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Mid Atlantic Region's Archives Facility, 900 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107. (See A below)

Court records retired after 1972, with some exceptions, are stored at the Regional Records Program facility located at the Mid Atlantic Region's Federal Records Center (FRC), 14700 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. (See B below)

Visiting the Archives: You must contact the appropriate Records Center before visiting to confirm the availability of the court records of interest.

A. FOR RECORDS AT THE National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Mid-Atlantic Region's Archives Facility, 900 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (retired before 1972).

● Acquire Case Information

For each case, obtain the following information from the court where the case was closed. The NARA will not be able to pull your request without correct information:

● Contact the NARA to Discuss Your Research

To make the most efficient use of your time, or to make sure that the documents of interest to you are at the NARA facility, please contact them in advance. They will confirm that they have the records of interest to you. They will also schedule an appointment if you want to view the records in person.

● Your Research Appointment

To use archival records, visitors must present a NARA researcher identification card. Applicants must show official identification with a photograph, such as a driver's license, passport, or school or business ID. Applicants must complete a form (obtained from the NARA) providing their name, address, telephone number, and a brief description of their research. NARA researcher ID cards are valid for 1 year. They may be renewed.

● Making Copies of Documents

The NARA has self-service paper copiers. Staff-made copies and certifications are also available for a fee. Fees for photocopying, effective October 1, 2007, are:

Self-service copies, $0.20 per page;
Staff-made copies, $0.75 per page;
Certified copies, $15.00 per certification

Payment may be made by cash, money order, personal check (payable to the National Archives Trust Fund), or by credit card.

● Access by Phone, E-mail, Fax or Mail

The Archives will accept phone, e-mail, fax, or mailed requests for photocopies.

Telephone -- 215-606-0112
E-mail -- philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Fax -- 215-606-0116
Mail -- National Archives, 900 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

NARA staff will search for the record. A staff member will contact you within 10 business days with the results of the search. Staff will provide an invoice with payment instructions should you decide to order copies.

B. FOR RECORDS AT THE Mid-Atlantic Region's Federal Records Center (FRC), 14700 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154 (retired after 1972).

● Hours -    Monday to Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
                    Closed on weekends and Federal holidays.

● Building Access Requirements

Everyone must present a picture identification card to the guard at the door. In addition, visitors and their belongings are subject to being scanned and searched.

● Types of Court Records Located at the FRC

Closed business and personal bankruptcy files
District Court Civil and Criminal cases

● The Records Request Process

For access to and copies of files, you must visit the Northeast Philadelphia facility. You MUST make an appointment before visiting the facility. To do so, follow the steps below:

Step 1 - Acquire Case Information From the Federal Court.

For each case, obtain the following information from the court where the case was closed. Your request cannot be processed without this information.

Step 2 - Schedule an Appointment.

Call 215-305-2020 between 8 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. weekdays, except Federal holidays, to schedule an appointment. You will have to provide the following information:

The case information from Step 1.
Your name and daytime telephone number.

Appointments are scheduled on weekdays between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. You will usually be given an appointment on the first or second business day after your call. Please do not travel to the facility without scheduling an appointment because the case file(s) you wish to review will not be available. You can confirm that the file is available by calling 215-305-2020 or 215-305-2000. Allow one business day between making your request for a case file and confirming that it is available.

Step 3 - Arrive at the Appointed Time.

Only paper and pencil, laptop computers, portable audio recording devices and, at times, photocopying equipment, may be used for note taking. Briefcases, pocketbooks, bags, and other personal items must be checked before entering the research room. Eating, drinking, and smoking are not permitted in the research room.

Step 4 - Obtaining Copies of Documents.

You must identify the pages you wish to have copied. The research room staff is not trained in court procedures and can provide only limited assistance in identifying pages that you need. All questions regarding file contents must be directed to the appropriate Federal court.

Please note:

Certified and uncertified copies are available.
Costs are $ .75 per copy, $15.00 per certification.

Payment may be made by cash (exact amount required), money order, personal check (payable to the National Archives Trust Fund-identification will be required), or by American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA.

No copies will be made after 3:30 pm.

Large orders will either be mailed to you or will be available for pick-up at a later date.

Under no circumstances will FRC staff certify photocopies after they have been delivered to the requester.


● Why Your Request Would Not be Processed

Your request, and any fees submitted, will be returned to you if:

a. The information supplied in Step 1 is incorrect or incomplete.
b. The name on the case file does not match the name requested.
c. You fail to enclose full credit card information or the amount
of your enclosed payment is incorrect.
d. The charge to your credit card is declined.

● Directions to the Records Center Program Facility

The facility is in northeast Philadelphia, about 22 miles from Center City Philadelphia and 25 miles from the Philadelphia International Airport.

From the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Take Exit 351 to US 1 south. Merge into left lane after second traffic light and turn left at the third traffic light, about 1.5 miles from the turnpike exit, onto Southampton Road. Turn left at second traffic light onto Townsend Road and continue until the road bends to the right. Just after the bend, turn left into the NARA entrance. There is plenty of free parking available for the NARA building.

From I-95
Exit at Woodhaven Road (Route 63) and go west to US-1. Exit north on US-1 to the second traffic light and turn right onto Southampton Road. At second traffic light, turn left onto Townsend Road and continue until the road bends to the right. Just after the bend, turn left into the NARA entrance. There is plenty of free parking available for the NARA building.