Public Records vs. Privacy. (Up Front: News, Trends & Analysis)

Beginning of article

Before the World Wide Web, public records sat collecting dust in U.S. courthouses. But today, governments considering posting documents online have found out that there are different rules for electronic documents, which, once they are posted on the Internet, have the potential to be read by anyone, anywhere.

Jim Cissell, Cincinnati, Ohio, clerk of courts, thought he was providing a public service when he moved court records--public information already available electronically--onto an easily searchable county Web site. Area residents flocked to the site to look up tax liens, arrest warrants, child support payments, and divorce proceedings. As a result, Cissell's office has …