Court Records - A Matter of Public Trust

Court records pertain to all the files andfinancially capable of making payments.
documentation kept by a court before, during andElectronic court records, available on the Internet
after legal proceedings. It is usually the task ofby request, has been met with opposition
the court reporter to keep a faithful record ofbecause of the threats to the personal privacy of
what transpires during a session in court and it isthose involved in the cases. However, most
from this transcript that court records comecounty and state courts believe that since these
about. Along with the transcript, otherare matters of public record, making them
documentation is also included in court documentsavailable whether through actual offices or virtual
such as legal forms, evidence, and other relatedoffices in cyberspace do not make much of a
files.qualitative difference. Actually, it remains of
Different groups of people require access toutmost importance that these court records are
court records for a variety of reasons. Foraccessible to the general public to prove the
instance, reporters and journalists usually requestintegrity and transparency of the judicial system.
for court proceedings to get more informationWhile recognizing the right of the public to
about a story that they are working on or to getinformation, the safety of those mentioned in
the 'first scoop' on a recent occurrence.court records must also be upheld. Since court
The legal community is another group of peopledocuments need to be filled with accurate details,
actively involved in acquiring court documents,releasing them to the public should never be at
whether it's to conduct research or build a case.the expense of the proper enforcement of the
For the latter, previous court records may belaw. The danger is not only a forever tarnished
used against someone involved in a current courtreputation; it is also very likely that someone may
case.want to seek revenge and as such 'track down'
Collectors and creditors are often eager topeople involved in a particular case.
determine the outcome of a case and will needIt is thus up to the court to decide, particularly in
court documents to justify that their debtorscases where a lot of sensitive information is
need to pay them immediately according to whatinvolved, when access to court records should be
the law has ruled. Court proceedings becomegiven. It is usually limited to members of the court
proof that they can now pursue their non-payers,and parties to the litigation but if just cause is
especially if their settlements have been grantedprovided by a member of the public, then they
or if it has been recognized that the latter ismay be given to them as well.