Checkpublicrecords.org Creates a New Section to Keep People Informed about Important Events Regarding Public Records

Checkpublicrecords.org has instigated a new section that is designed to keep the public informed about the latest news and laws regarding public records. The process of trying to find records can be a daunting task. The laws change constantly and trying to keep up can be almost impossible.

For instance, on the 18th of March, the Florida Supreme Court clarified the new rules that allow electronic access to records kept by the court. According to the new rules the public has a right to access certain records as guaranteed by the constitution but some records are to be kept confidential. The media, the courts and bar associations have long had difficulties deciding what confidential information is and what could be the public's right to know.

The electronic age has made records more accessible to the general public and the worry of fraudulent use of these records is one of the concerns that prompted this new set of rules. With the transfer of records to an electronic system for storage, without the exemptions stating which records could be accessed and which ones could not, the clerks would have found this an impossible task.

The Committee on Access to Court Records was the idea of the Committee on Privacy and Court Records. The Access Committee was created to assist in providing a set of exemptions that would apply to confidential records rather than exempting all records from public access.

The Type I information identified by Access Committee includes identifying information about victims of sexual offenses, adoption records and Social Security numbers. There are 16 others that are considered Type I information.

Type II information is up to the filer of the public records. If they do not want general access given to their information they can fill out a 'Motion to Determine Confidentiality of Court Records.' If the information is only concerning the filer, there does not need to be a determination made.

With so many changes being made to the accessibility of public records, a site such as http://www.checkpublicrecords.org is necessary to help the public find the resources needed for the records they are searching. This is a site that not only provides this service, but posts the information needed to help people search successfully.