What a bill! Check it out here: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=671251
Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids) is proposing to limit public access to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Project internet search site. What happened to the ‘public’ in public records?
No one, other than Schneider and the bill’s co-sponsors, seems to be cheering this blatant attempt to limit public access to public records. The argument from one of the co-sponsors that public access unfairly allows criminal convictions to haunt individuals convicted of crimes is laughable. The fact that they were convicted of the crime haunts the criminal not the fact that there is public access to said conviction. What would be next under this type of scenario of closing public access? Closing trials to the public and banning media reports of criminal cases?
The records through this website include traffic, probate, family court, civil and criminal and the bill proposal comes forth under the proviso to protect those convicted of crimes? In California, for a small fee you can get entire case pleadings on line.
The records are public, the internet is a means of accessing the records. Anyone can go to a courthouse and get court records as they are public. For a lawmaker to propose to make it more cumbersome for the access of public records is a very, very scary proposition.
1 comment:
Just the latest of "Snarlin' Marlin's" many whacky ideas. I cannot believe the people in his district keep sending him back to Madison.
He wanted universities to videotape EVERY lecture of EVERY course on EVERY campus and make them available on the internet, for kids who skip class. It never occured to him that there isn't enough video equipment and film production people in HOLLYWOOD to achieve this lunacy.
A few years ago, he wanted to have all parking rules around college campuses nullified when kids move into the dorms, mostly because HE got a parking ticket taking his kid to school that fall.
Hm. I wonder if that means HIS name is in those records ...?
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