The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reports the Poder Judicial announced on Friday that SUMAC and SIGNO will be unavailable from 12:00 a.m. Nov. 19 until the end of Nov. 22
- NotiCel reports the electronic court will remain available only for protection orders and petitions under Ley 408-2000, processed same-day from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa, administrative director of the courts, said the work is routine, previously scheduled and unrelated to recent Microsoft service issues
- In-person filings will be accepted at investigation rooms in Aguadilla, Bayamón, Mayagüez, Ponce and San Juan on weekend and holiday hours
Scheduled Outage Details
The Poder Judicial de Puerto Rico will suspend access to its SUMAC and SIGNO electronic systems from midnight on Thursday, Nov. 19, through the end of Sunday, Nov. 22, for planned technological maintenance. Metro Puerto Rico reported. During this period, the Tribunal Electrónico will accept only requests for protection orders and petitions for remedies under the Puerto Rico Mental Health Law (Ley 408-2000). These will be processed the same day between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m., following the schedule for weekends and holidays.
Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa, director administrativo de los Tribunales, stated that the intervention is part of routine maintenance to strengthen stability and modernize judicial technological infrastructure. He added that the work was scheduled in advance and has no connection to recent Microsoft service disruptions. NotiCel reported.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
los trabajos forman parte de un mantenimiento rutinario planificado para fortalecer la estabilidad y modernizar la infraestructura tecnológica de los servicios judiciales.
Our translation: the work is part of routine planned maintenance to strengthen stability and modernize the technological infrastructure of judicial services.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Alternative Filing Options
Individuals needing to file protection orders or mental-health-related petitions may also appear in person at the Salas de Investigaciones in Aguadilla, Bayamón, Mayagüez, Ponce and San Juan during weekend and holiday hours. For urgent matters requiring immediate intervention by a municipal judge outside those hours, the Poder Judicial directed people to go to the nearest police station.
The judicial branch recommended that the legal community complete any possible filings before the maintenance begins. All electronic system functions are expected to resume on Monday, Nov. 23. Updates on service restoration will be posted on the official Poder Judicial website and social media channels.
Where the sources differ
Both Metro Puerto Rico and NotiCel reported the same outage dates, affected systems (SUMAC and SIGNO), limited electronic access for protection orders and Ley 408-2000 petitions, the same-day processing window of 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., in-person filing locations, police-station option for after-hours emergencies, and the expected resumption on Nov. 23. The outlets gave identical quotes from Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa explaining the routine nature of the work and that it is unrelated to recent Microsoft issues. The two reports are essentially consistent with no substantive differences in facts or dates.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact nature of the technological maintenance work, the number of cases or users typically affected by the outage, whether any other judicial electronic services beyond SUMAC, SIGNO and the full Tribunal Electrónico will remain available, or the precise times when in-person Salas de Investigaciones will be open on those days. They also do not indicate whether any contingency measures have been arranged with the Policía beyond directing people to the nearest station.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Poder Judicial suspenderá acceso a sistemas electrónicos por mantenimiento
- Reporting Poder Judicial suspenderá acceso a sistemas electrónicos por mantenimiento
- Reporting Poder Judicial limitará acceso a sistemas del 19 al 22 de noviembre por mantenimiento
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico and NotiCel both published the announcement based on information released by the Poder Judicial and statements from administrative director Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa. All details, including the maintenance schedule, limited services and alternative options, rest on the official judicial branch communication.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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