From the Winter 2001 issue within the News Media & The Law, page 17.

Legal courts around the nation are developing and acquiring the technology to provide Net or electronic digital access to court public records. It can make files searches more rapidly and more useful for the press and members of the public. Nonetheless privacy interests are compelling some courts to issue whether permitting such broad access to courthouse data.

A number of claims are considering new rules with regards to electronic usage of court records. A few DDQ business of these proposals control electronic usage of specific types of reports, including criminal case data files. These types of records are more very sensitive and present more potential for the purpose of privacy problems than city case files. Other proposals are more expansive and would allow the general public to look at most documents, but with limitations on selected data components or types of information including social reliability numbers or perhaps medical documents.

The judiciary is asking for public commentary on these proposals. If you are interested in the issue, you should contact a state’s representatives and ask them to support changes to mention open data laws that permit wide-ranging access to all of the court records, in spite of their type. You should also motivate attorneys to contact their elected officials and need them to oppose any proposals that limit access to digital records.