E-Discovery / Photo: Shutterstock.com (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

On Thursday the New Jersey judiciary launched an expanded electronic filing system to ease the filing of cases and slow backlogs while the state remains under an extended health emergency.

The Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS) system—in development before the COVID-19 outbreak that as of Thursday had claimed more than 1,700 New Jerseyans' lives, and upended businesses and shuttered schools since March 9—will allow attorneys and self-represented litigants to submit their filings electronically in most areas of the Family and Special Civil parts, as well as in General Equity.

Based on the announcement, the newly enhanced system can be used to submit complaints, answers, and motions in various courts. The judiciary will continue to add case types as the system is developed further, the announcement said.

The release said the JEDS system is rolling out sooner than expected "in light of the courts' suspension of most in-person proceedings and matters to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

"During this time of social distancing, we must rely on technology more than ever to keep the courts moving as efficiently as possible," said Judge Glenn Grant, acting administrative director of the courts, in the release.

"This expansion of our filing system will help self-represented litigants and attorneys continue to move forward with important matters, from child support to landlord/tenant issues," said Grant.

In the Family Part, Grant said, attorneys and pro se litigants can electronically submit documents related to divorce, post-divorce motions, child custody and parenting time, and child support applications and modifications.

The outbreak of the respiratory disease in New Jersey just a month ago has shut down courthouses and law offices, suspended all new jury trials and shifted in-person proceedings to online participation.

The unveiling of JEDS was at least the second coronavirus-related development in a few days' time to help mitigate the pandemic's impact on the legal community. On Monday Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that New Jersey law students who are anticipating to graduate next month would be allowed to temporarily practice law under the supervision of experienced attorneys under an order he signed that same day.

That accommodation was made after consulting with deans of the state's two law schools, and due to postponement of the 2020 bar exam, originally scheduled for July, to the fall.

And on Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced he signed Executive Order No. 119, which extends the public health emergency declared on March 9 up to 30 additional days to allow for social distancing measures to stay in place.

The order also extends all executive orders issued under the Emergency Health Powers Act, and actions taken by any executive branch departments and agencies.

"While we have taken aggressive action in our fight against COVID-19, we must continue to use every resource at our disposal to flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of the virus," Murphy said of the added time. "Extending this order allows us to continue taking appropriate action to protect the public health and welfare of New Jerseyans during this challenging time."

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 1,700 state residents had died from COVID-19—more than double the number who perished in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—while the confirmed infections topped 51,000, according to Murphy during his daily coronavirus press briefing at the Trenton War Memorial.

On the same day, the Senate introduced 23 bills and two resolutions to help the state cope with the fallout from the pandemic. The bills—another reflection of the collateral damage—are scheduled to be voted on in the Senate's first-ever remote voting session on Monday, April 13, according to the Senate Majority Office.

These new bills come on top of the 28 measures that comprise the "COVID-19 Emergency Response Package" that the Assembly and Senate swiftly passed in mid-March. Four of the bills came back with recommendations from Murphy and were again voted on during the Assembly's first-ever remote session on March 25.

With only Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and a skeletal staff in the Assembly Chambers to honor social distancing guidelines, the votes of 79 Assembly members were taken via teleconference call that could be heard live on njleg.state.nj.us/.

The Senate remote session is to begin at 10 a.m. Monday, using the same guidelines and website.

Since March 13 the public has been barred from attending committee hearings and voting sessions in the Statehouse.