CONTENTS

Does case data on the Internet reduce litigant privacy JCIT 2/21/98

Whatever's publicly filed is public Joe Edwards 2/21/98

Re: Whatever's publicly filed is public Lewis Kinard 7/7/98

fee or free PKratka@Aol.com 4/17/99

Litigant who uses court system at public expense gives up a portion of their privacy David Poole 2/21/98

Information is available on Lexis-Nexis anyway Jim Johnson 2/21/98

Information is already public record and anyone could pick up the phone and obtain it from the court. Patrick Mulry 2/21/98

Only searchable and queryable information is of any real use Patrick Mulry 2/21/98

Info is public anyway. If privacy were the real concern, means wouldn't matter. Craig Ball 2/21/98

It's public material. Making it available on the internet merely makes it easily accessible R. K. (Kris) Weaver 2/22/98

"Case data" is not a live camera or microphone capturing privileged communications. Stewart Ransom Miller 2/22/98

What's the big deal? Michael Jung 2/27/98

Making information available in civil cases furthers the very words freedom of information, Michael G Tacher 2/27/98

Regardless of whether it will reduce the privacy of litigants, it will be reducing privacy to which there is no right David A. Schulman 2/27/98

Should the State recover costs for Open Records information requests JCIT 2/21/98

You don't have to pay a policeman to answer a question, why pay to look up court information Jim Johnson 2/21/98

Recovered costs should be ACTUAL costs Jim Johnson 2/21/98

Raise filing fees and don't charge for access. Patrick Mulry 2/21/98

Must have a provision for a waiver or reduction of fee for good cause shown Craig Ball 2/21/98

Even if the waiver was mandatory for some groups like non-profits, how do you keep the individual from being discriminated against Walt Borges -- TCA Court Watch director 2/26/98

Recover costs policy offends me Martin L. Kahn 2/21/98

It is "our" information the state is just our repository. Charles J. Hughes 2/21/98

Recovered costs should not include overhead or initial investment costs Donald P. Butler 2/21/98

The mechanism to charge and collect the fees should also be considered as overhead and not a recoverable cost. Charles Matz 3/4/98

You should pay us! M. Taylor 2/21/98

They have to provide it if I go up the counter and request it R. K. (Kris) Weaver 2/22/98

There is a common law and First Amendment right of access to court records, abundantly established in the case law. Michael Jung 2/27/98

Where the request is for information that should be made generally accessible to the public, the State should not charge David A. Schulman 2/27/98

I thought the point of the web page was to reduce the number of calls to the clerk's office JULIA F. PENDERY 2/27/98

The basic tenet . . . is that a person does not come "like a serf" hat in hand, seeking permission of the lord to haveaccess to public records. Access to public records is a matter of right. Ohio Court of Appeals, 3/4/98

The public pays enough for taxes, that pay salaries and buy equipment as it is. Alice 3/8/98

Should users be charged for Internet access to Court data JCIT 2/21/98

Court should be run for the benefit of the public, and not for the protection of private information publishers. JimJohnson 2/21/98

Public needs a public resource they can use to level the playing field a bit. Craig Ball 2/21/98

Government information should be free to the public K.Slaydon 2/21/98

The state should not be in the business of "selling" public information Joe Edwards 2/21/98

If I had to pay, I'd probably just call the clerk Dennis L. Roossien 2/21/98

Re: If I had to pay, I'd probably just call the clerk Jeff Lane 8/9/98

Why should people from out of town be charged for information available without imposition of any additional incremental effort Tony Petrocchi 2/23/98

If I can get the information with a short walk to the courthouse or a local call, why shouldn't the lawyer in Gilmer be able to get the same thing - FOR FREE - just like me - with just as little effort Robert Barbee 2/23/98

Preferably nothing, but a yearly subscription fee is more reasonable than per page. Deidre M. Waters 2/21/98

5th Court's website has reduced by 90% my calls to the court staff. Paul Koning 2/21/98

If there is a charge, why should I use the internet instead of Westlaw Ruth Malinas 2/21/98

It offends me anytime a State agency charges for information Martin L. Kahn 2/21/98

Per minute charges could quickly become outrageous Catherine Magruder 2/21/98

If I'm representing an indigent it will be charged back to the county regardless R. K. (Kris) Weaver 2/22/98

Charging for furnishing the information via computer would be like a toll (at the courthouse door) Stewart Ransom Miller 2/22/98

Costs will be small compared to the costs of responding to telephonic and personal inquiries to deputy clerks. Michael Jung 2/27/98

Providing the information to a thousand users costs almost nothing more than to provide it to one David A. Schulman 2/27/98

We'll just call the clerk or come to the clerk's office Julia Pendery, Cowles and Thompson 2/27/98

"(not only to TAX) but 'TO BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER' " Thomas Paine, "The American Crisis", December 1776

Every citizen is presumed to know the law thus declared, and it needs no argument to show that justice requires that all should have free access to the opinions... Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court - 1886 4/2/99

Should public and litigants be charged less than attorneys and businesses JCIT 2/21/98

Litigants should be able to access their own information for free. Catherine Magruder 2/21/98

Will it be on an honor system? Craig Ball 2/21/98

Attorneys and businesses are members of the "public," too. Michael Jung 2/27/98

What case level information should be made available JCIT 2/21/98

Everything Martin L. Kahn 2/21/98

Make everything available, from the higest court to the lowest Deirdre M. Waters 2/21/98

What court services and information should be provided over the internet JCIT 2/21/98

Everything that one could get from a trip to the courthouse Marc R. Stanley 2/21/98

Electronic filing Tony Petrocchi 2/23/98

Electronic filing has been authorized by statute for many years Michael Jung 2/27/98

Other Comments Charles Matz 2/22/98

I love the convenience of getting court of appeals information by internet. R. K. (Kris) Weaver 2/22/98

Examine the secret agenda of those who would closed the courts to public scrutiny Stewart Ransom Miller 2/22/98

Having access is very helpful and cost efficient RICHARD E. YOUNG 2/22/98

A vote for public access Homero C. Canales 2/22/98

I think if it is public record it should be made public. Maggie Mushitz-Compton 2/22/98

State employees (including elected officials) work for the public, but very few of them seem willing to accept or acknowledge that fact Susan Taylor 2/22/98

The Internet is the greatest tool for the equalization of information since the printing press Patrick T. Mulry 2/22/98

Keep the free in freedom! Craig Ball 2/22/98

The Dallas Court of Appeals Website is by far the best judicial website in Texas. In fact it is the best one I have ever seen. Paul Koning 2/22/98

Maintaining obstacles to obtaining information only ensures that those who cannot afford an attorney will remain in the dark. Brian Casey 2/22/98

Thanks to all the people responsible for this great site. Janet R. Randle 2/22/98

The site is AWESOME ! P. Michael Jung 2/22/98

This website is an outstanding model for other Courts of Appeals to follow Carlos Mattioli 2/22/98

Your court web site is quite impressive. Erika Wayne, Law Librarian, Stanford Law School 2/22/98

The judiciary serves two distinct purposes Hank Voegtle 2/22/98

The Senate Interim Committee on Public Information is the best hope for preserving free access to court info on-line Walt Borges -- director of Texas Citizen Action's Court Watch 2/26/98

Having access on the Internet to information is invaluable LaDawn Conway 2/27/98

It's high time for the Courts to get on the Net - give the public an opportunity to see and study what for too long has beeninaccessible Paula Sweeney 2/27/98

You still have the best judicial site in the nation. Judge Mike O'Neil 4/24/98

Charging fees for access to court information will have the effect of keeping the public uninformed and ignorant -- not a worthy goal of a free society. Let the light of knowledge shine so the truth may be illuminated. Bill Beard 5/23/98

I wish I had known about the email (eNotes!) update capability earlier, it would have saved me calling the clerk *MANY* times John Horany 6/13/98

Thank You So Much! Robert D. Barbee 3/31/99

What a fabulous site Matt Muller 4/2/99

This an amazing website. Deborah Claudio 4/15/99

AWESOME site!!! Kelly H Kolb 5/31/99

Your site is one of the best court sites I have ever seen. Jonathan Hughes 5/31/99