subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Feb 09 2010 
Letters | Columns | Opinion |

Published: March 19, 2008 11:11 am    print this story  

Public's access to records limited

Brenda Tollett Associate Editor

A recent ruling by the state Supreme Court would limit access to public records online. This is just one more step to closing all government records to the public.

Oklahoma’s Supreme Court justices said the move was made as an attempt to prevent identity theft. However, how long will it be before government officials decide to deny access to all records to the public?

Journalists routinely use www.oscn.net or www.odcr.com to keep watch on lawsuits, criminal cases, briefs, motions, rulings and other documents from district courts and appellate courts. Before court records were made available on the Internet, anyone interested in these court records was required to make a trip to the courthouse. Sometimes those trips to courthouses were at great expense to the individual.

By limiting access to these records, there are more opportunities for corruption. Anyone who wants to “hide” arrests for anything from public drunk to murder would be less likely to have their crimes made public if those court records were available online.

Journalists pursuing a story use details in court documents to verify accuracy in their work. They are not the only ones to use these records. Lawyers, private investigators, law enforcement officers and genealogists find birth dates from court documents a key method of verifying their research.

Court records online were a step in the right direction in moving Oklahoma forward. Removing access to those same records will hinder the state’s technological abilities.

The Supreme Court justices should rethink their decision to deny online access to court records. It is not the best interest for Oklahoma’s general public.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premium jobs

#51689
RAM Energy Resources, Inc. has an immediate opening for an
EXPERIENCED pumper. Competitive hourly wage with compa...>MORE

#51883
DYNAMIC & GROWING SEMINOLE BASED MANUFACTURER OF AIRCRAFT DIGITALY BASED TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS HAS THE FOLLOWING O...>MORE

#51817
RICK’S TANK TRUCK SERVICE
is looking to hire qualified drivers for the Clarita area. You must carry a class A CDL...>MORE

#51889
The Chickasaw Nation is accepting applications for the following:
Administrative Assistant – NARCH Grant
Job C...>MORE

#51850
Personal Care Aides needed in Stonewall!!
Provide in-home care to the elderly and disabled. Hours are part-time and...>MORE

#51850
Personal Care Aides needed in Stonewall!!
Provide in-home care to the elderly and disabled. Hours are part-time and...>MORE

#51868
Valley View Regional Hospital Notice of Job Vacancy
Nurse Manager
RN - All Shifts
C.N.A. - All Shifts
...>MORE

#51872
TINKER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY LOCATION – Ada
MEMBER SERVICE OFFICER(2010-010)...>MORE

#51863
One Company, One Choice!
Are you looking for change or tired of shift work. Then Indian Territory is the company fo...>MORE

#51468
PCA’s for the Rural Ada area.
Call HCIPS @ 877-982-7100. EOE...>MORE

See all ads
Premium autos

51341
For Sale: Great family car!! 2007 Kia
Sorento.  Black, tinted windows, CD player, tan
interior. 42,000 highw...>MORE

#51428
‘06 Nissan Titan LE
4x4, loaded - leather, DVD, 140K mi.
$11,999. obo
580-421-1881...>MORE

#51855
‘08 Corvette hard top Convertible
14,430 miles, Black with Ebony leather interior. $35,500.
580-421-5713...>MORE

#51561
1968 Ford Mustang 
Black, 289ci, V8, 5 speed transmission.
True Ford nine inch rear end.
Daily driver....>MORE

#51341
For Sale: Great family car!! 2007 Kia
Sorento.  Black, tinted windows, CD player, tan
interior. 42,000 highw...>MORE

50769
LIKE NEW 2004 Cadillac CTS
61,000 miles, Black with two tone black & gray interior, sunroof, power seats, CD, new t...>MORE

See all ads
Premium homes

#51845
Purchaser paying full price will receive at closing a 3 day - 2 night trip to Hawaii for two. Call for details. FOR SALE...>MORE

#51481
For Sale by Owner Great starter home or investment property, excellent condition, three bedrooms, one bath, nice living/...>MORE

See all ads

Loading Calendar...
(requires Javascript)
© 2010, Ada Evening News
116 North Broadway, Ada, Oklahoma 74820
(580) 332-4433; Email News tips & feedback
rtj

 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index