Published: March 21, 2008 10:43 am            

Court targets data available in other online public records

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma Supreme Court order shutting off future Internet access to court documents calls for removing some information readily available elsewhere, such as dates of birth listed in voter registration records.

First Amendment advocates have decried the March 14 order, saying it denies the public’s right to know important information.

Dates of birth have been routinely available in some government documents in the past, such as police blotters. They are listed in voter records maintained by the State Election Board.

“They are in the records for the same reason they need to be in court documents, and that is to identify people, so when we say John Smith, we know which John Smith we are talking about,” Joey Senat, past president of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, Inc., said Thursday.

“The information is for the public, not just for reporters,” said Senat, journalism professor at Oklahoma State University.

Senat has urged the court to hold hearings on the subject before its order to restrict Internet access to most court documents goes into effect on June 10.

Michael Evans, administrator of the state court system, said he has been asked to receive comments on the rules and prepare a report to the Supreme Court. He said anyone wanting to comment should send him an e-mail.

Also on Thursday, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said the Supreme Court’s proposal to limit Internet access to only court dockets was “ill advised.”

“I am hopeful that they will be revisiting that issue. It does not makes sense to me to have a record available that you can go to the courthouse and get but it is not available on the Internet,” Edmondson said.

A week ago, the Ohio Supreme Court backed off plans that also would have restricted information available from court records in that state, such as birth dates and addresses.

In Ohio, a 19-member commission was formed to discuss rules for accessing court records. Concern over identity theft was given as the reason for moving to restrict Internet access to records in both Ohio and Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma court rules were adopted on a 5-3 vote of the justices.

        

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