Emergency Filing Procedures When the Electronic Case Filing System is Not Available

To adequately serve the needs of the members of the bar and provide a means for filing documents when the Electronic Case Filing (ECF) System is inaccessible due to court technical difficulties, the Clerk's Office of the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Mississippi has instituted emergency filing procedures for its divisions as outlined below:

During Regular Business Hours

The registered user shall contact the appropriate location of the Bankruptcy Clerk's office by telephone and speak with a supervisor or in the supervisor's absence, the case administrator assigned to the case.

Jackson 601-608-4600
Gulfport 228-563-1790

The registered user should state why an immediate filing is necessary. Suitable arrangements will be made for the Clerk's Office to accept the filing. Such a filing is effective upon receipt and will be electronically entered and docketed when ECF is accessible unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

After the Close of Business

If a registered user cannot access ECF to effect a filing and the filing is time sensitive and will be made untimely as a result of a technological failure of ECF, the registered user should call

601-608-4603

The supervisory staff member assigned to monitor the emergency phone line will make arrangements with the registered user to accept the filing. Such a filing is effective upon receipt by the assigned supervisory staff and will be electronically entered and docketed when ECF is accessible unless otherwise ordered by the Court. If the Court determines that the failure to electronically file was caused by an error of the registered user, or a misuse or abuse of the emergency filing procedures, the Court may strike the document and issue sanctions, which may include additional mandatory training.