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1.  

   No Subject Given

   

   Anonymous Coward, Sep 6th, 2002 @ 1:02am

   
   

   So people are upset that public information is accessable by the public?
   
   A criminal record is a matter of public record, and the public has the right to see that justice is being done.
   
   There is no law saying that public records can be effectively hidden behind ineffective document management, which is what the web replaces.

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2.  

   Public records=easily accessible

   

   Steve Snyder, Sep 6th, 2002 @ 1:03am

   
   

   I agree with the other poster. If something is deemed a public record, then it should be easily accessible to anyone who wants to see it. Claiming that something is public record and then making the public file paperwork, pay a fee, and wait weeks or months is wrong.
   Now this realization may make us rethink what should be classified as public records, and I am all in favor of that--careful consideration and public debate should take place for these decisions, but once we decide it's a public document, anyone should have easy access.
   I'm not sure how I feel about requiring ID and tracking who accesses certain documents. I can see a decent security/public saftey argument being made. Maybe the best solution is to require some sort of identification (and IP tracking and that too) but require it to be sealed and only accessible with a valid search warrant. That way both the public safety and individual privacy are preserved.
   steve snyder

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3.  

   A non-issue

   

   DT, Sep 6th, 2002 @ 1:05am

   
   

   Why is this an issue? As the other posters mention, public records are free to anyone who walks into the court house to see them. No ID required, nothing. Why any sort of special identification or tracking process should take place for online access is beyond me. To modify Scheier's axiom, I guess the objectors believe in privacy by obscurity?

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4.  

   No Subject Given

   

   Anonymous Coward, Sep 6th, 2002 @ 1:05am

   
   

   People don't like being spied on. That's the reason people are upset. Of the three previous posters only one offered to fill in their name when given the option to. The others decided that they wanted a degree of privacy. I guess they're bad people too... just like me.

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5.  

   This is _good_

   

   D Henkel-Wallace, Sep 6th, 2002 @ 10:10am

   
   

   It may be embarrassing for the parties concerned, but there's a good reason the US constitution bars secret arrests, and why this issue has been so hot lately!

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6.  

   Access to Court Records

   

   Dan, Dec 17th, 2002 @ 12:45pm

   
   

   As an entrepreneur, and author of an e-book on how to beat a speeding ticket, What do you think would be the most effective way to collect the names, addresses, emails of people who have decided to contest their tickets, both locally and on a more global field.
   
   Thanks

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