Author Archives: Matthew Carpenter

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas will be upgrading its case management software to the Next Generation (commonly called NextGen) of ECF during the weekend of July 29-31, 2022.  Beginning Monday, August 1, 2022, attorneys will be required to log in to ECF through a PACER account to file documents.   All attorney information concerning actions to be taken are posted on the “Attorney Guidance for Access to NextGen” page. Attorneys need to obtain (or upgrade) their individual PACER accounts  To obtain a new PACER account or upgrade an existing PACER account Continue reading →

In accordance with Part IV of the Standing Order Establishing A+, A, and B Panels for Civil Appointments in the San Antonio Division and Supplementing Amended Plan for Reimbursement of Counsel (W.D. Tex. Apr. 1, 2021), all attorneys in private practice admitted in the San Antonio Division will be placed on one of three panels for pro bono appointment in civil cases. As indicated by the Order, placement depends on each attorney’s experience, expertise, and interest in handling pro bono matters. This page allows you Continue reading →

In Memoriam Judge Philip R. Martinez July 13, 1957 – February 26, 2021 The Western District of Texas is mourning the loss of our esteemed colleague District Judge Phil R. Martinez who passed away on Friday, February 26, 2021.  Judge Martinez was a native El Pasoan and received his education at the University of Texas at El Paso and Harvard Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate.  He served as a judge on the El Paso County Court at Law #1 from 1991- 1994, Continue reading →

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has provided notice of an apparent compromise of the confidentiality of the CM/ECF system and called upon courts to implement new security procedures to protect highly sensitive documents (HSDs).  We have no confirmation of direct impact to the Western District of Texas specifically at this time.  The Court has implemented procedures for submitting HSD’s the court: Order Regarding Procedures for the Filing, Service and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents – Filed on 1/13/21.

Affecting San Antonio, Midland, Pecos, and Alpine This announcement is for all attorneys practicing criminal law in The Western District of Texas, specifically the San Antonio, Midland, and Pecos Divisions. Beginning January 18, 2021, the U.S. Probation Office for the Western District of Texas will modify the method used to disclose Pre-Sentence Reports, Addendums, and Violation Reports. You will no longer receive a notification (NEF) from CM/ECF but will instead receive an email directly from the U.S. Probation Services Office for the Western District of Continue reading →