[LINK] US Courts to open databases?

[Chirgwin, Richard]

>From Newsbytes...
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161184.html

>Privacy Groups, Journalists Clash Over Court Records Database 
>
>By Brian Krebs, Newsbytes
>WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A.,
>29 Jan 2001, 1:25 PM CST
>
>A plan to launch a new nationwide database that will allow anyone with a
>computer to look up court records has stirred debate between privacy rights
>advocates and journalist groups over the government's role in disseminating
>sensitive and personally identifiable information. 
>
>The Administrative Office of the Courts recently solicited public comment
on its effort >to link files from all federal courts under a single system,
known as PACER (Public 
>Access to Court Electronic Records). 
>
>As the official deadline for comments rolled around last Friday, the
comments began 
>pouring in, many of them from privacy rights and First Amendment advocates,
a spokesman >for the Administrative Office said. 
[snip]

Well, I guess the court records are a more reliable source than a Website
populated by "somebody" naming "criminals"...

Richard Chirgwin