Depending on the level of the case, they may not be on line. And I would think there would probably be a delay in getting even appellate and federal cases on line.

You might try some of the law journals – they regularly publish summaries of interesting cases, and they would be more apt to have their editions in some kind of on-line archive. Usually lower court cases are kept in county courthouse archives; others will vary according to state.

As far as transcripts go, that’s a different story. A court reporter is usually hired (or employed by the court) to take down everything that’s said with those cool little typewriter things. They basically create an electronic and paper record based on shorthand.

However, an English readable transcript is only available if someone has "ordered" the transcript (usually for an appeal). This can be very expensive — as much as $2 per page — and so not everything that goes on in court is "transcribed." You’d have to contact the court reporter in charge of the proceeding to see if it is, and whether you could get a copy (perhaps at a copy fee of something like $.35 per page).