Ohio Supreme Court Adopts New Public Records Rules

Rules adopted by the Ohio Supreme Court on Monday could restrict the public's access to court records, a leading open-government advocate says.

Cleveland lawyer David Marburger, of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government, said the rules shift the burden to the public to prove why it needs access to court records if someone involved in a case wants them sealed.

College Students Learn About Procuring Public Records

The goal of the experiment was to determine if local public records are truly accessible to ordinary citizens.

Thirty-eight UW-River Falls students who took part in an open records aud3it learned the answer is nearly always yes. But that doesn’t mean all area officials give up the information graciously.

SC County Balks on FOIA Requests

Williamsburg County Supervisor Stanley Pasley has not responded within the prescribed fifteen-day deadline to Freedom of Information requests.

The Weekly Observer has filed requests concerning landfill finances with County Treasurer Pearl Brown, who has provided a portion of the requests, but stated to the Observer that the part of the request had been turned over to Pasley, because only he could provide the information. The records sought are all specifically identified in state law as public records.

State Freedom of information law states that financial records are public records and must be made available to the press and public, except for some specific exemptions. The law also requires response to Freedom of Information law within fifteen working days, and states that any records that are claimed exempt must be so identified within the time limit, or the request must be granted.

Editing Iowa Public Records Could Cost $1.8 Million

Redacting Social Security numbers and other personal information on the Web could cost as much as $1.8 million under estimates given Tuesday to lawmakers.

IowaLandRecords.org, a Web site used by Iowa county auditors, faced public scrutiny in September when privacy watchdogs pointed out that thousands of Social Security numbers — including those of Gov. Chet Culver and Secretary of State Michael Mauro — were available.

Many Florida Pulbic Agencies Flunk Simple Open Records Test

TaMaryn Waters walked into the Jefferson County School District offices with a simple request: She wanted a copy of the most recent e-mail the superintendent sent school board members about the district budget.

But it wasn't so simple. What she found was a staff that was confused and suspicious and a superintendent who didn't understand public record laws. Waters never told them who she was, but a week later the secretary called her and admitted the staff tracked her down by running her license plate number.

Conflict Arises Over State's Fees for Public Records

Gov. Ed Rendell issued a directive that allows state agencies to charge a reasonable fee for searching and retrieving documents after the revised open records law fully takes effect on Jan. 1.

The directive also allows agencies to charge for redacting non-public information from copies of requested government documents.

Police Resisting Records Request

Police are throwing roadblocks in front of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, which is seeking records to further investigations of cases in which project organizers suspect people may have been wrongfully convicted.

Illinois State Police have refused for two years to give the Innocence Project records on an unidentified fingerprint found on a bridge guardrail in Macon County, just inches away from the blood of Karyn Slover. 

Slover’s husband and his parents were convicted of murdering her in 1996 and dumping her body into Lake Shelbyville.

Average Joel Wins Fight for Public Records

Joel Chandler doesn't exactly fit the gadfly profile.

A married man of 23 years, Chandler has four children, sells copy machines and has attended one County Commission meeting in his life.

But what sets him apart is an overriding desire to hold governmental agencies accountable after being served with a public records request.

"Some people like baseball and football," Chandler said. "This has been a lot of fun. It's like dealing with a bully."

Chandler, 44, has become an unlikely enemy of the Polk County School District after winning a lawsuit against the district that allows him access to the names, phone numbers, addresses and dependents' names of any of the estimated 13,000 employees who receive health care.

Elected Officials Eleude Public with Private E-Mail

We may never know whether Gov. Sarah Palin is conducting the public's business on one of the non-governmental accounts she uses.

News reports have demonstrated that Palin routinely uses a private Yahoo e-mail account to conduct state business. Others in the governor's office sometimes use personal e-mail accounts, too.

They are not alone: Use of private e-mail accounts has become quite the rage in governments grand and small. If this debate sounds familiar, it is. The Bush administration generated headlines last year after it was disclosed that more than 80 White House aides, including senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, used private GOP e-mail servers for government business. The controversy surfaced during congressional investigations into White House contacts with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and into the firings of U.S. attorneys.

Gov. Palin knows that, and so does every other public official across this great land of ours, from governors to city council members. They also know that it is awfully convenient to use private e-mail accounts for their personal correspondence. Increasingly wired with Blackberrys and iPhones and PDAs, these e-mail addicts have also come to realize that the Google or Yahoo e-mail can instantly create a tantalizingly private communications channel for official correspondence, too.

Locals Leave SSNs Unprotected

Official records containing Social Security numbers are available online or for bulk sale to private companies from most of the nation’s counties, raising the specter of possible misuse and identity theft for millions of Americans, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

“Many counties make public records that may contain Social Security Numbers [SSNs] available in bulk to businesses and individuals in response to state open-records laws, and also because private companies often request access to these records to support their business operations,” GAO found by surveying 247 counties in 45 states. “Our sample allows us to estimate that 85 percent of the largest counties make records with full or partial SSNs available in bulk or online, while smaller counties are less likely to do so (41 percent).”

Companies interviewed for the survey said they use SSNs as unique identifiers and to cross-identify persons across government documents. Although many companies claim they restrict access to the data, records sometimes are sent overseas for processing.

No Bargain for Public Records in Alaska

Alaska is flush with cash, but there are no bargains for reporters and citizens asking for records of the taxpayers' money at work.

On the contrary, the state is setting prices for copies of government documents that could bring Gov. Sarah Palin's administration millions of dollars if anyone agrees to pay them.

Alaska officials said they have been swamped with requests for copies of state records ever since Palin was selected to be Republican John McCain's running mate. For requests of less than 200 pages, the state sometimes waives fees. Agencies also offer news organizations the opportunity to fine-tune their requests to avoid high fees.

The state is charging $960.31 per account to search through e-mails of state employees, which the state said would take 13 hours per e-mail account. Officials say the charges reflect their actual costs of paying state technology workers $74 per hour, not any profit.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press this week, Alaska's senior assistant attorney general said the state will not waive its high fees because of the current budget climate and the public's interest in spending taxpayer money wisely. AP requested that Alaska waive the fees because the information to be disclosed was in the public interest, and Alaska rejected the request.

"State agencies cannot foresee every exceptional circumstance that might make a waiver in the public interest," Ruth Hamilton Heese wrote. "In the current budget climate, however, cost is a very important element of the decision."

Where The Sun Doesn't Shine

“Frank, This not the Governor’s personal account,” reads a February 7 email from Governor Palin’s official government email account, written by an aide named Donna to Frank Bailey, the Director of Boards and Commissions for the governor’s office. (Bailey was recently suspended, for his role in the Wootengate affair, but ultimately reinstated.)

“Whoops~!” Bailey wrote back.

The email Bailey was trying to send to Palin, revealed after self-described ethics watchdog and registered Republican Andrée McLeod filed a records request this summer, was a tally of the ethnic backgrounds of Palin’s appointees, noting that of those who had declared an ethnic background, some 10 percent were Alaska Native.

At the time, the governor was under fire because when she had the opportunity to nominate three appointees to the seven-member Board of Game, there were no Alaska Natives amongs her choices. This would have meant that, for the first time since its inception in 1976, the Game Board wouldn’t have had any Native members.

One of the three appointees, Teresa Sager-Albaugh, withdrew her name after lawmakers expressed outrage, and the day after Bailey’s email, Palin appointed Craig Fleener, an Athabascan, to the board.

When new stories revealed that the governor used at least two Yahoo accounts—gov.sarah@yahoo.com and gov.palin@yahoo.com—for state business, McLeod, a former ally of Palin’s, wondered what other state business had been conducted on the private email accounts.

“It appears from at least a couple of these emails that Andrée got in response to her first request that they were doing it purposefully, in order to keep this email traffic out of the state system, to keep it away from members of the public, and that’s really very disturbing,” says Donald Craig Mitchell, an Anchorage attorney representing McLeod in a recently filed lawsuit attempting to preserve any emails on private accounts pertaining to state business.

The state of Alaska requires public records of all public agencies to be open to inspection by the public, with few exceptions—this and laws like it in other states are known as Sunshine Laws.

'TROOPERGATE' DOCUMENTS SHOW PALIN'S ROLE IN EX-RELATIVE'S WORKERS COMP CLAIMS

On July 11, 2008, Palin abruptly fired public safety commissioner Monegan, saying only that she wanted to take the public safety department in a different direction.
Monegan then went public with his account of the mounting campaign against Wooten from the governor’s family and staff. Monegan told the Anchorage Daily News that Todd Palin showed him the work of a private investigator, who had been hired by the family to dig into Wooten’s life and who was accusing the trooper of various misdeeds, such as drunk driving and child abuse.
Though Palin vehemently denied that she was involved in the pressure campaign, a review by the Attorney General’s office found that half a dozen state officials had made about two dozen phone calls regarding Wooten.
That was when the Bailey-Dial transcript was released, causing Palin to backtrack somewhat while still insisting that she did not know that Bailey had made phone calls about her ex-brother-in-law. Bailey was put on paid leave.
The state legislature decided to investigate Palin’s possible abuse of power and appointed an independent counsel.
Initially, Palin said she would be “happy to comply, to cooperate” with the investigation, but now – after becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee – she, her husband and several of her top aides are resisting requests for depositions.

Cheney Ordered to Preserve Records

Vice President Dick Cheney must preserve a broad range of records from his time in office, a federal judge ordered Saturday, ruling in favor of a private watchdog group.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found that the records are not excluded from preservation under Presidential Records Act, which gives the national archivist responsibility over the custody of and access to the records at the end of a president's final term.

The Bush administration had sought a narrow interpretation of the act to allow for fewer materials to be preserved by the National Archives.

"Defendants were only willing to agree to a preservation order that tracked their narrowed interpretation of the PRA's statutory language," Kollar-Kotelly said in her order. This position "heightens the Court's concern" that some records will not be preserved without an injunction.

Cheney chief of staff David Addington has told Congress that the vice president belongs to neither the executive nor legislative branch of government, AP reported. Instead, he said, the office is attached by the Constitution to Congress. The vice president presides over the Senate.

Northeastern Creates First Amendment Center

Northeastern University has established a research and advocacy center to focus attention on increasing efforts by government to limit access to public records and meetings.

The "First Amendment Center of New England" will offer citizens, journalists and public policy organizations information on open access to government. The center, announced Friday, will also have a hotline to advise citizens seeking public documents and will host seminars on public records and open meeting laws.

Ohio Supreme Court to Hear Digital Public Records Case

The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday grappled with the realities of the computer age as it weighed the question of when a “deleted” public record becomes a “destroyed” public record.

At issue is a lawsuit by The Blade seeking to force the Seneca County commissioners to hire a forensic computer expert at county expense to recover deleted e-mails from an 18-month period, some of which the newspaper contends may contain illegal private communications related to the proposed razing of the county’s historic courthouse.

“We’re talking about a very finite amount of time here, and we’re talking about e-mails from two or three people to one another,” said Justice Maureen O’Connor. “It just doesn’t seem to me to be that overwhelmingly burdensome or such a huge task here for the county to not even attempt to comply.”

Fritz Byers, The Blade’s attorney, told the court that the newspaper made a request under the Ohio Public Records Law seeking all e-mails sent, received, or deleted for an 18-month period beginning Jan. 1, 2006. The county provided a “smattering” of e-mails initially, he said, but then, after the paper sued, the county produced 700-plus pages of additional e-mails.

He noted that the commissioners have admitted that some records were deleted.

“If the court doesn’t rule fully in our favor, then it will mean that any official will be able to legally cover his tracks and misdeeds by a simple click on the computer's delete button,” said John Robinson Block, The Blade’s co-publisher and editor-in-chief.

SARAH PALIN'S 'TROOPERGATE' PROBLEM: THE BACKSTORY

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has denied claims that she and several of her senior staffers illegally accessed the personnel file of her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, and disseminated confidential information about the law enforcement official to his superiors.Palin, Sen. John McCain’s running mate, her private attorney Thomas Van Flein, and McCain campaign officials, said the confidential medical and employment records became part of the public record during divorce proceedings between Wooten and Palin’s sister, Molly McCann. Palin is under investigation by an independent counsel appointed by Alaska’s Legislative Council. The probe centers on whether Palin abused her power when she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan in July because he allegedly refused to fire Wooten. The investigation also centers on claims that the governor’s office peeked at Wooten’s personnel records illegally. The McCain campaign said Monday Palin is "unlikely" to cooperate with the investigation.Palin's husband, Todd Palin, and 12 other people were subpoenaed Friday by a committee made up of three Republicans and two Democrats.
The court clerk at the Alaska courthouse in Anchorage explained that the contents of Wooten and McCann’s divorce records do not contain any of Wooten’s personnel, medical, or financial records, other than statements made by witnesses during the trial.
“Under Alaska state law when you reopen a custody and divorce case you have to do initial disclosure,” Erwin said. “That means we are entitled to three different releases: his employment, medical, and financial documents. [Wooten] signed the releases in open court and the releases were exercised.”

L.A. COUNTY CONSIDERS HIRING A PERMANENT WATCHDOG FOR TROUBLED HOSPITALS

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday considered instituting a permanent, independent investigator to keep watch over the county's troubled hospital and clinic system.

The proposal came a day after new disclosures about the level of incompetence among employees at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, 11% of whom had undisclosed criminal records.

The investigator job was proposed by Supervisor Gloria Molina, who said trouble at King-Harbor developed in part because officials with the county Department of Health Services kept problems secret from the board.

"I think what we have is lousy management," she said, "that for some reason is frightened of telling us the truth or doesn't have the ability to tell us the truth and conjure up all kinds of interesting stories to tell us to keep us blind to the real facts that are going on. So I've just about had it."

The review that discovered the criminal histories and incompetence came in response to an article in The Times that King-Harbor workers were not fully vetted as promised when the hospital's inpatient services shut down last year.

NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT SOMEBODY?

You don't have to be a full-fledged private investigator to dig up basic info on your neighbors, co-workers or just about anyone else you know in the state.

Florida's public records allow for easy access to criminal records, many court documents, and property records.

Sure, the documents can help you snoop around, but more importantly, they can also keep you well-informed about the people you and your family come in contact with.

Most of the records are free and readily available online.

www.publicrecordswire.com

COUNTY LOOKS AT DIGITAL RECORD KEEPING

An initiative to digitalize Williams County original public records is being considered after being first proposed at the county board of commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.

Kari Evenson, Williams County treasurer/recorder is having preliminary talks with title service company Deister, Ward & Witcher Inc., (DWW) to digitally reproduce the county's land and mineral records from the late 1800's to 1984. The process would be free if DWW can keep a copy of these records, which Evenson doesn't see as a problem since this information is public domain.

"This would save us an incredible amount of money and time," added Evenson.

She is exploring other alternatives, however, before making a decision.

FOIL-ed RECORDS COME AT A COST

New Yorkers might get an unpleasant surprise when they ask their government for databases and other types of electronic public records.
Besides an e-mail or a disk, they might also receive a bill.

Last month, New York quietly changed its Freedom of Information Law to allow government agencies to charge for an employee's time when they fill citizens' requests for electronic records, provided they need to spend more than two hours filling the request.

The agency must supply an estimate of the cost beforehand in order to be able to collect, said Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the state's Committee on Open Government.

The change, which Gov. David A. Paterson signed into law in August, benefits governments but could discourage citizens from asking for government records, Freeman said.

Previously, governments were allowed to charge only for the actual cost of materials used when the request was filled. For example, someone who requested a CD containing every Boome County labor contract would have been charged $2.

Recently, however, a file of Vestal town payroll records came accompanied by a bill for $127.40 -- five hours' salary for Deputy Comptroller Pam Fitzgerald.

Permitting members of the public to ask for documents in a form other than paper would prohibit an agency from saying no on the grounds the records were too "voluminous and burdensome" to copy, or it lacked sufficient staff -- excuses used in the past, said Assembly-woman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome. Agencies could require people seeking names and addresses certify they would not use them for solicitation.

Computer Forensics Foils RIAA Lawsuit

One of the most closely-watched copyright infringement lawsuits brought by the RIAA appears to be coming to a screeching halt, much to the music industry's delight. A judge ruled Monday that a defendant had willfully and intentionally destroyed evidence of his P2P activities after being notified of pending legal action by the RIAA. Furthermore, since it was done in bad faith, it "therefore warrants appropriate sanctions."

The order in Atlantic v. Howell was issued at the end of a pretrial conference held in an Arizona courtroom. Jeffery Howell, the defendant who represented himself throughout the case, was accused of copyright infringement for sharing music over the KaZaA P2P network. Howell denied the charges, saying that the music MediaSentry saw in his shared folder was for his own private use.

Howell won a major victory against the RIAA this past April, when a judge rejected the RIAA's cornerstone legal theory that simply making a file available on P2P network constituted copyright infringement. Judge Neil V. Wake denied the RIAA's motion for summary judgment, ruling that "a distribution must involve a 'sale or other transfer of ownership' or a 'rental, lease, or lending' of a copy of the work. The recording companies have not proved an actual distribution of 42 of the copyrighted sound recordings at issue, so their motion for summary judgement fails as to those recordings."

1st Amendment Allows Re-posting of Public Records

A federal judge has ruled that the First Amendment protects the right of Virginia privacy activist Betty Ostergren to publish the Social Security numbers of public officials on her website. She posted the numbers to protest the Virginia government's policy of posting public real estate records online that included people's Social Security numbers. The decision—and the associated publicity for Ostergren's website—may prompt Virginia politicians to hurry up and fix their own website.

For several years, Virginia has been making the real estate records available for a nominal fee from a commonwealth website. Ostergren, wanting to give public officials a taste of their own medicine, began reproducing the records of legislators and court clerks—Social Security numbers and all—on her website.

Bizarrely, the Virginia legislature reacted to public criticism of the Social Security fiasco in 2007 by mandating that all public real estate records be made available beginning in July 2008. It also mandated that clerks redact Social Security numbers within three years, but only if the legislature provided the funds required to do so—then failed to come up with the necessary funds. Instead, the legislature changed the law to prohibit private parties from distributing individuals' Social Security numbers even if they are simply reposting the very same records available from the government's own website. Ostergren viewed this last clause as censorship, and with the help of the Virginia ACLU, she sued to block its enforcement against her.

In his opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Payne wrote that the the Supreme Court has consistently barred governments from limiting re-publication of information already placed into the public record by the government itself. For example, in a 1975 case, the high court held that a journalist could not be prohibited from reporting the name of a rape victim he had obtained via public court documents.

Public Records For All?

In the city of Richland, it's apparent that access to public records is based less on a commitment to observing the letter and spirit of the state's Open Records Act and more on an unfortunate decision to create economic barriers to a free flow of public information.

In Richland, a copy of a police incident report now costs $20. The Madison and Rankin County Sheriff's departments charge $10 for incident reports.

Some other agencies charge less. Florence Police Department charges 50 cents a page for copies.

Richland Board of Aldermen last week signed off on a unified fee system for public records requests. That decision is another in a disturbing trend in government at all levels to price the public out of a free flow of public information to which the law already entitles them at cost.

Public officials, including Richland officials, say they are simply recovering taxpayer costs. Perhaps. But the effect is making public records inaccessible to the poor.

The state Open Records Act was meant to provide access to public records by all Mississippians, not just those with plenty of disposable income. In the vast majority of cases, reproduction of public records by government entities consists of little more than the operation of a copy machine by a city employee.

RETIRING COMMISSIONER SOUGHT INFORMATION ON FAILED LEGISLATION

Thurston County Commissioner Diane Oberquell sent a state agency one of the biggest public records requests ever filed, costing the agency an estimated $9,000 for 300 hours of staff time and about $500 for printing almost 10,000 pages of documents.
Oberquell, acting as a private citizen, filed the request Feb. 9. She asked the office of state Attorney General Rob McKenna for records, e-mails and other documents that mention a failed bill in the state Legislature that would have required county commissioners to tape their closed-door executive sessions. Oberquell testified Feb. 5 against the bill.

PI snooping into Sayles' e-mails to police chief

A Livermore-based private investigator has now submitted a California Public Records Act request to Lathrop City Hall seeking all e-mails between Mayor Kristy Sayles and Lathrop Police Chief Dolores Delgado from Aug. 1, 2007 to present.It covers the time when Delgado was away from work due to an injury.It marks the second time the private investigation firm of J.D. Maurer & Associates has submitted a public records request involving Sayles. On July 30, the PI submitted a public records request for Lathrop Police incident history and 911 tapes from Sayles' home address.The latest request asks for:• All e-mails between Sayles and Delgado from Aug. 1, 2007 to present.• All e-mail to kristysayles@aol.com from any city originating email address including but not limited to ksayles@ci.lathrop.ca.us from the time Sayles was a council member to the present.• All copies of telephone records for any telephone and/or cellular telephone, PDA, smart phone issued to Sayles.Sayles has indicated she does not have an issued city-owned cell phone.The original request asked for:• an incident history of anything that may have occurred at the mayor's home from Jan 1, 2005 and July 30, 2008.• a copy of all 911 tapes for any and all calls that occurred between June 1, 2008 and July 30, 2008 in reference to or that originated from the mayor's house.• a copy of the computer aided dispatch for any incident that occurred between June 1, 2008 and July 30, 2008 that was in reference to the mayor's home.Sayles said that she does recall making two 911 calls but that was last year around March when her child in her care was having seizures.Since the first request was made and Sayles was aware of someone poking into her personal life - court records involving divorces and civil matters that have nothing to do with her duties as an elected official for the City of Lathrop - a slick anonymous website has popped up listing personal information plus comments that aren't exactly flattering to Sayles. The website's address is www.kristysayles.comShopping into the personal background of a candidate that the opposition wants to take out is reminiscent of what Monte McCall did on behalf of San Joaquin County Supervisor Leroy Ornelas' opponents when he first ran for office. At that time, the Sheriff Baxter Dunn had his staff dig through old booking forms from the 1960s when Ornelas was a teen and was detained because he was in the company of another minor who was wanted at the time in connection with a crime.

Sensitive data to be handled with discretion

The newspaper has made California Public Records Act requests to Sutter and Yuba counties and the cities of Marysville and Yuba City for the names, titles and salaries of current county and city employees. This information is a matter of public record; the California Supreme Court ruled as such in August 2007.
Our intention behind the request: Build a public salaries database for the Appeal-Democrat Web site, which already offers a variety of popular databases of valuable information. Our most recent database on the "Info Center" at www.appeal-democrat.com details students' test scores.
Why a salaries database? Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent. And while some of the salary information already is available, for example, on Sutter and Yuba counties' Web sites, our goal is to make it easier for the public to access the information they have the right, by law, to possess. Essentially, we want the A-D database to provide a one-stop resource.
We do not believe a database that includes names would provide information that could lead to identity theft; the salaries database will not include data such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses or e-mail addresses. But perception is reality, and we respect the opinions of those public employees and officials who expressed their safety concerns to us.

New Orleans Police Not Releasing National Guard Records

The New Orleans Police Department said that it’s keeping updated numbers on where National Guard troops are helping out in the city. However, the department isn’t giving that information to anyone.
Since the guard arrived in the summer of 2006 -- the guard has assisted police officers on more than 6,000 arrests. Guard members do not make arrests.
"They report to the district commanders for the NOPD," said Lt. General Bennett J. Landrneau. He’s the man in charge of the guard in Louisiana.
WDSU filed an information request for guard statistics with the NOPD but the information was never provided.
Thursday, Police Superintendent Warren Riley appeared before the city council, who asked why the public records have not been provided.
"My questions are in the reporting of information on arrests and where they are located and the time of day, that's stuff the public has asked for that they cannot get from the NOPD?" said City Council Vice-President Arnie Fielkow.
Riley replied that he was unaware that the public was asking for the information and that the department could pull it up.
After Riley made that comment, the WDSU I-Team contacted the police department again. Once again requesting the information filed in the public records request from June.
At the time, the department told WDSU it could not provide the records on National Guard activity because the information couldn't be compiled.
But Thursday at City Hall, Riley made the following statement.
"It's not a problem for us -- the National Guard, they track their own arrests, we track all arrests, but we can get that info from the National Guard," Riley said.
Maj. Michael Kazmierzak said the guard works in support of the police department at the direction of the governor.
"Since the National Guard is only in support of law enforcement, the NOPD makes the actual arrest," Kazmierzak said.

State records need protection / Reform, awareness essential in handling public documents

When it comes to public records, it seems there are too many cooks in the kitchen and none of them are using the same recipe.
To deal with the continuing problem of hidden or missing records--many of which may be of historical significance--the government has set up a panel of experts and plans to allocate funds in next fiscal year's budget to bolster research into and administration of official documents and important records.
But even with extra funds, any move to protect these records will not be successful if the bureaucrats in charge of handling them are not better educated about their importance and the fact that they are public property.
Every year, close to 1.13 million files are compiled by the central government. The relevant bodies keep the files for a period stipulated by the Freedom of Information Law, and then classify them into one of three categories: those to be stored at the National Archives of Japan, those to be stored at the relevant ministry or agency office and those to be destroyed.
Documents deemed to have historical value are transferred to the National Archives. Yet few files make it that far, as each transfer requires an agreement between the office concerned and the archives.
The National Archives, however, does a poor job when compared to its foreign counterparts. To begin with, there are a mere 42 employees managing the National Archives, as compared to the 300 employed by South Korea's archives administration and the enormous staff of 2,500 at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The National Archives of Japan building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo--the administration's main facility--claims a floor space of just 11,550 square meters, one-tenth the size of the National Archives Building in Washington, the main facility for a network that comprises 22 regional locations and a new 167,200-square-meter building.
In February, the government set up the panel of experts to come up with proposals for a sweeping overhaul of the system to manage important documents.
An interim report released in July by the panel calls for the integration of administrative functions--currently shared by government bodies such as the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the Cabinet Office--through the creation of a new agency in charge of public documents. The report also calls for a staff that would number in the triple digits. The new agency would have the final say on whether official documents should be stored in the National Archives or be discarded.
"The loss of important public documents is a loss for the state. So, in terms of national strategy, it's important for us to improve the administration of these documents. Politicians need to promote reform of the system and better awareness among bureaucrats."

University won't open Obama-related records now

The University of Illinois on Tuesday refused to release records relating to Barack Obama's service to a nonprofit group linked to former 1960s radical activist William Ayers.
The university's Chicago campus said the donor of the records that document the work of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge has not yet turned over ownership rights to the material.
The university is "aggressively pursuing" an agreement with the donor, and as soon as an agreement is finalized, the collection will be made accessible to the public, the university said in a one-paragraph statement.
There was no indication when an agreement will be worked out. The university did not identify the donor who it said was concerned that the release not invade personal privacy.
The Obama campaign said the senator does not have control over these records or the ability to release them, adding that it has made many documents related to Obama's life available to the public and that "we are pleased the university is pursuing an agreement that would make these records publicly available."
On Monday, the National Review magazine posted an online article saying that the institution had initially declared that the records were open to inspection, but that the university subsequently reversed its position.
On Tuesday, the university said that there had been a misunderstanding about the status of the collection.
During a primary debate in Philadelphia last October, Obama criticized rival Hillary Rodham Clinton over the release of presidential papers from the National Archives. Clinton said at the time that neither she nor husband Bill Clinton could do anything to speed the process of review at the Archives before papers from the Clinton era could become public.
Obama compared her record of public disclosure of records to that of the Bush administration, saying the country had "just gone through one of the most secretive administrations in our history."
In March, edited versions of the former first lady's appointment calendars were publicly released.

So Who Do You Think You Are?

From this week on, researching your family history will be much easier, thanks to the launch of the Public Record Office new website.

It has many new features and additions, such as researching family and local history, how to look after your own personal archives, including family photographs and documents, and introductions to private archives which give overviews and historical backgrounds.

The Arts and Culture Minister, Edwin Poots, who launched the website, said the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) had many fascinating records.

http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/fh/free/349260010536525.php

Fate of Open-Records Law May Hinge on House Vote

A proposed overhaul of Pennsylvania's antiquated open-records law is on ice , awaiting a House vote that could send it on to the governor or prolong the debate for months.

The measure is considered the most likely reform bill to emerge from this Legislature.

The fundamental issue , balancing the public's right to know with an individual's right to privacy , was settled months ago. Lawmakers agreed that most government records should be open to the public, and to require agencies that keep records secret to justify their actions.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080202_ap_fateofopenrecordslawmayhingeonhousevote.html

Local Government Owner's Manual: Getting access to public records

As an owner of local government, you have a right to know what your public servants really are doing. One way to find out is to request public records.

This chapter of the Local Government Owners Manual will tell you how to file a Public Records Law request in Wisconsin.
According to state law, “all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them.” As a result, there is a “presumption of complete public access” to records.

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/02/03/news/z02manual03.txt

Crime Records Go Online

The record of John Rowland's conviction is now online for everyone to see.

Not Connecticut's former governor, who was convicted in federal court and not included in the state's new database of criminal convictions. Instead, everyone may learn that John Rowland, a Weston man in his early 80s, was fined $180 for speeding and failure to drive in the proper lane last year.

"I don't mind very much," said the elder Rowland, who is not related to the onetime governor. "The more information they put up, the less it means anything."

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-conviction2feb06,0,6735508.story

Judge to Rule on Public Record Pertaining to Ozark Teacher

A Dale County judge may be the first in the state to rule on whether parts of a teacher’s personnel file are public record.

The Dothan Eagle submitted two public records requests to former Ozark City Schools superintendent Dan Payant for disciplinary action taken against D.A. Smith Middle School teacher Melinda Fenn, who disclosed a student’s medical disability to other students last school year. Fenn has taught in the school system for 18 years.

The student’s mother said her child underwent counseling and was temporarily transferred to another school system because of embarrassment.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/gulfcoasteast/dea/local_news.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2008-02-06-0006.html

Challenging Government Secrecy Can put Holes in People’s Pocketbooks

If someone steals your car in Mississippi, you call the police. If someone defrauds you, you call the attorney general.

If someone denies you access to public records, no taxpayer-funded agency will help you. Instead, you hire an attorney.

In Mississippi, a state with a long history of government secrecy, it can be difficult, expensive, time consuming — and sometimes an all but impossible — to know what government leaders are up to and what special interests pull their strings.

http://www.picayuneitem.com/local/local_story_036153841.html

Court Backs Faster Fublic Record Response

Government can’t make people wait for weeks or months for public records, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

In a unanimous decision, the judges said Arizona’s public records law, unlike some other states, requires that the custodian of the items “shall promptly furnish such copies, photographs or printouts.” And it says any request not promptly honored is deemed to have been denied.

Judge Murray Snow, writing for the court, acknowledged the law does not define “promptly.”

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/108312

Arsonist's Case Tests Limits of Washington Public Records Act

Allan Parmelee has a lot of time on his hands - another 19 years, for having the cars of two lawyers firebombed. He's using it to dig up information about the people who sent him to prison, including judges and prosecutors, as well as pretty much every other public employee he's encountered in his legal odyssey.

But his hundreds of requests under the state's Public Records Act have become so numerous, and so creepy, that King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg has taken the extraordinary step of asking a judge not only to let his office ignore Parmelee's pending requests, but to bar him from filing any more with the prosecutor's office in the future. Superior Court Judge Glenna Hall is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday in the case, which tests the limits of the state's disclosure law.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_public_records_harassment.html

Albany to Formalize Public Records Policy

Requests for public records held by the city of Albany would be handled according to a policy that’s up for city council adoption on Wednesday.

City Manager Wes Hare said the policy represents no departure from anything the city has done so far but merely puts it in writing.

“Our philosophy is we want to obey not just the letter but the spirit of the public records law,” Hare said.

http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2008/01/28/news/local/7loc02_records.txt

Secrecy a Threat to Public Records

Washington state residents are on the verge of losing their constitutionally granted right to know what goes on in local governments, an open-government activist says.

Former state Rep. Toby Nixon, president of the Washington State Coalition for Open Government, said he hopes the Legislature will take action this year to protect that right.

"Without access to information about what the government is doing, we lose control," Nixon said. "Whoever has the most knowledge has the most power."

http://heraldnet.com/article/20080125/NEWS01/31735897

State Law Should Presume Records Are Open, State Senator Says

South Dakota law should be changed to presume that government records are open to help make sure the public can find out what is going on in state and local government, Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry, D-Watertown, said Thursday.

South Dakota’s current system seems to make government information more easily available to some people than to others, Turbak Berry said at a discussion hosted by the South Dakota
Newspaper Association.

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/articles/index.cfm?id=24067&section=news

Red Bluff denies Public Records Request

The Red Bluff Joint Union High School District denied to release the full 90-page report to the Record Searchlight last Thursday into the conduct of two varsity football coaches.

In a letter received by the district on Jan. 7, Sports Editor Aaron Williams asked for "copies of all investigations into the conduct of Red Bluff High School football coaches Rich Hassay and John Schwabauer between 2003 and this date in 2007. Including any recommendations made by the Red Bluff High School administration and the board of trustees into any disciplinary action that needed to be taken."

The request is covered under the California Public Records Act.

http://www.redding.com/news/2008/jan/26/red-bluff-denies-public-records-request/

Criminal Histories Hard to Find

One of the most confounding aspects of checking a person's criminal history is the crimes that don't show up.

This is especially frustrating to those screening for positions involving enormous amounts of trust, such as teachers.

There are a number of ways in Illinois that a person can plead guilty to breaking a state law but avoid having it show up on their criminal history.

http://www.pekintimes.com/articles/2008/01/26/news/news6.txt

Throw Open City Records? State Insurer Says No Way

Some Monroe City Council members wanted to make city business as open and transparent as possible. They proposed prompt disclosure of public records, broadcast of all council meetings and online access to all city documents.

City leaders also wanted to waive their right under the Public Disclosure Act to withhold some documents related to legal advice and negotiations, if their lawyers said they could do so without opening the city to liability.

But what was intended as a "good-faith effort to instill more confidence in government," according to Councilman Mitch Ruth, instead provoked a threat from the city's insurance
provider that its liability coverage would be canceled.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004138960_records23n0.html

What Do Public Records Say

Learning how much of your personal information is available to the general public may help you protect yourself.

People are often surprised to find out how much of their information is public record and has been readily available both on- and offline for decades.

How does information become public record?

http://www.napsnet.com/lastweek/57284.html

County Further Defies Records Law

Should Frederick County spend $25,000 to comply with a state-mandated records law it has ignored since at least 1999?

The Board of County Commissioners couldn't agree on an answer to that question during a Tuesday meeting.

The county does not have a state-required policy regulating the retention and destruction of public documents and records.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=70316

Potter County, Texas Information on Inmates

Learn more here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/potter-county--texas-inmate-information

Midland County, Texas List of Current Inmates

Search using names, or view the entire list of detainees;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/midland-county--texas-current-inmates

Tarrant County, Texas Inmate Lookup

Look up the inmates in Tarrant County, Texas:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/tarrant-county--texas-inmate-search

Williamson County, Texas Inmate Lookup

Inmate Lookup:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/williamson-county--texas-roster-of-inmates

Wood County, Texas Record of Inmates

Locate inmate records:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/wood-county--texas-inmate-records

Grayson County, Texas Inmate Records

Retrieve inmate records:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/grayson-county--texas-database-of-inmates

El Paso County, Texas Inmate Records

Inmate records are retrievable through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/el-paso-county--texas-inmate-records

Ector County, Texas Lookup of Inmate Information

Find info here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/ector-county--texas-inmate-information-lookup

Data on Holocaust Victims Made Available to Public

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has begun helping Holocaust survivors, their family members and researchers gain access to a huge trove of Nazi-era records detailing the fates of millions of victims.

Museum officials last week announced they were making available via online request digital copies of the records, which include Nazi-generated documents on concentration camp rosters, slave labor camps, transport manifests, ghetto inhabitants, and arrest records. They also include allied documents on victims housed at displaced persons camps after the end of World War II in 1945.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/natwld/5468660.html

Camden County Georgia, Jailed Inmate Listing

Locate an inmate;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/camden-county-ga-jail-inmates

Bibb County Georgia, Inmate Information

Find an inmate using a name search:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/bibb-county-ga-inmate-information

Spokane County Washington Database of Inmates

Find inmates, and information on their arrest and incarceration.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/spokane-county-wa-inmate-database

Cowlitz County Washingtong, Index of Inmates

Find more information through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/cowlitz-county-wa-index-of-inmates

Columbia County Washington, Inmate Records

The Columbia County inmate roster:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/columbia-county-wa-inmate-records

Benton County Washington, List of Inmates

Find the inmates in the Benton county jail;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/benton-county-wa-inmate-list

Burnette County Wisconsin Roster of Inmates

Locate inmate information:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/burnette-county-wi-roster-of-inmates

State Bills Aim to Open CPS Records

State lawmakers are moving to make some child-welfare records, court proceedings and state employee personnel records open to the public in an attempt to shine light on the actions of Child Protective Services.

The proposals are part of a package of bills expected to be introduced soon by Reps. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, and Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, in the wake of legislative hearings this fall on the deaths of three children from Tucson whose parents had been investigated by CPS.

The underlying theme of the bills, which were unveiled at a legislative committee hearing Tuesday, is that "transparency will breed accountability," Adams said.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0116cps0116.html

Yakima County, Washington List of Inmates

Find an inmate in Yakima County;

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/yakima-county-wa-inmate-lookup

Whatcom County, Washington Current Jail Inmates

Search the Whatcom County Jail inmates;

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/whatcom-county-wa-jail-inmate-roster

York County, South Carolina List of Inmates

Select which inmate information you need from the scrolling list of all inmates presently being held.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/york-county-sc-view-of-inmates

Thurston County, Washington Inmate Database

This information does not include those inmates who have been released. The data is kept current with regular updates.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/thurston-county-wa-inmate-database

Shelby County, Tennessee Inmate Information

Use this form to find current jail resident information.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/shelby-county-tn-inmate-information

Montgomery County, Tennessee Inmate Booking Log

View the booking report, active warrants, an incident report and the visitation log.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/montgomery-county-tn-inmate-booking-log

Snohomish County, Washington Daily Inmate Report

Search alphabetically using the last name by selecting the beginning letter from the list available.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/snohomish-county-wa-daily-inmate-report

Utah County, Utah Search for Inmates

Searching on a name will search all inmates, past and present in the last two years.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/utah-county-ut-search-for-inmates

Skagit County, Washington Inmate Roster and Bookings

This report lists the names and basic case information of inmates incarcerated in the Skagit County Jail.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/skagit-county-wa-inmate-roster-and-bookings

Pacific County, Washington Current Inmates

See the current inmates:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/pacific-county-wa-current-inmates

Okanogan County, Washington Record of Inmates

Find relevant records here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/okanogan-county-wa-record-of-inmates

Mason County, Washington Inventory of Inmates

Locate inmate details.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/mason-county-wa-inventory-of-inmates

Lewis County, Washington Database of Inmates

View the Jail bookings, inmate roster or the data on releases.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lewis-county-wa-inmate-database

Kitsap County, Washington Inmates

Locate an inmate, and the details related to their arrest and booking;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/kitsap-county-wa-inmate-head-count

King County, Washington Inmate Bookings

From here you can view the jail register, search the bookings and more.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/king-county-wa-inmate-lookup-service

Clark County, Washington Jail Inmate Roster

view details on the charges, release/booking dates and more on the inmates in Clark County.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/clark-county-wa-jail-inmate-roster

Callam County, Washington Online Jail Roster

This list gives the names, ages and booking date of the inmates currently in attendance.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/callam-county-wa-current-inmates

Adams County, Washington Inmate Booking and Jail Roster

View the names of those folks presently in attendance in Adams County jail;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/adams-county-wa-inmate-booking-and-jail-roster

Washington County, Utah New Inmate Bookings

View the list of newly booked inmates:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/washington-county-ut-inmate-bookings-report

Summit County, Utah Listing of Inmates

Instructions on where the list of inmates is located can be found here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/summit-county-ut-documentation-of-inmates

Salt Lake County UT Search for Inmates

Use the prison ID or the last name to locate an inmate.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/salt-lake-county-ut-search-for-inmates

Davis County, Utah Jail Roster

Check out the jail roster;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/davis-county-ut-unofficial-inmate-roster

Franklin County, Vermont Database of Inmates

Locate arrest, citation and incident reports for the cities in Franklin County.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/franklin-county-vt-inmate-database

Ex-Angola Guard Pleads Guilty to Filing False Records

A former Louisiana State Penitentiary security officer accused of trying to cover up the cause of an inmate’s death pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Monday.

Calvin R. Sheppard, 31, 4606 Fausse Drive, Baker, was scheduled to go on trial in 20th Judicial Court this week on a malfeasance in office charge, but he reached a plea bargain with prosecutors that gave him a suspended three-year prison sentence for filing a false public record.

Inmate Jonathan Stevenson, 34, was found dead in his cell at the Angola prison’s disciplinary housing unit, Camp J, on Jan. 8, 2007. The prison hospital staff initially thought Stevenson had died of natural causes.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/13786827.html

County Right to Put Reports About Restaurants Online

Governments should be putting more public records on the Web where people can see them.

A year from now, those who dine out in Camden County should be able to go online to see just how clean their favorite restaurants are. Do employees wash their hands enough? Is food waiting to be cooked kept at the right temperature to prevent germs from spreading?

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/OPINION/801150320/1046

Officers' Record Request Denied

The Springfield Police Officers Association believes police are quitting more often than workers in other departments and that certain documents can show why.

The city has kept those documents — employee exit interviews — out of the association’s reach by denying a request under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

The association is expected to file a lawsuit challenging that denial tomorrow. It argues that, stripped of individual names, summaries of the exit interviews are public record.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/BREAKING01/80115069

Wise County Texas Inmate Lookup

Discover inmate information from here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/wise-county-tx-inventory-of-inmates

Travis County Texas Inmate Information

Locate inmates using this simple search:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/travis-county-tx-inmate-information

Tom Green County, Texas Listing of Inmates

Locating an inmate is made easy with the Tim Greene County inmate search database. You may search by name, age range or date range of the inmates incarceration.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/tom-green-county-tx-listing-of-inmates

Smith County, Texas Inmate Records

Locate an inmate currently or previously incarcerated in Smith County.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/smith-county-tx-listing-of-inmates

Parker County, Texas Listing of Inmates

Locate people in the Parker County jail system;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/parker-county-tx-search-for-inmates

Montgomery County, Texas Inmate Booking Information

Look up an inmate from here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/montgomery-county-tx-inmate-and-booking-information

Lubbock County, Texas Inmate Population

Locate inmates who are in attendance or have already been released.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lubbock-county-tx-jail-inmates

Lamar County, Texas Search for Inmate Records

Locate information about inmates having been incarcerated preiously or presently in Lamar County, Texas.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lamar-county-tx-record-of-inmates

Gregg County, Texas Inmate Finder

Find an inmate.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/gregg-county-tx-inmate-locator

Denton County, Texas Record of Inmates

Locate inmate information with several flexible search options;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/denton-county-tx-inmate-records

Cameron County, Texas Current Listing of Inmates

Find the details on booking, charges, and full names of inmates.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/cameron-county-tx-current-inmate-listing

Brazoria County, Texas Inmate Records

Records on inmates in the Brazoria jail can be found through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/brazoria-county-tx-inmate-records

City of Baytown TX Listing of Inmates

By selecting the link " Who is in the Baytown Jail?" you are able to view the records of all active inmates presently in the Baytown jail.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/city-of-baytown-tx-listing-of-inmates

City of Arlington, Texas Inmate List

Locate the detailed records of inmates currently in the cities jail:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/city-of--arlington-tx-jail-inmate-list

Bexar County, Texas Inmate Bookings

Review a detailed account of inmate records;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/bexar-county-tx-index-of-inmate-bookings

Bell County, Texas List of Active Inmates

Locate active inmates through this site:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/bell-county-tx-jail-inmate-list

City of Arlington, Texas Inmate Locator

The Arlington Police Department updates their inmate list every 5 minutes.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/arlington-county-tx-jail-inmate-list

Shackelford County, Texas Current Inmates

The records on inmates who are currently being held in Shackelford County can be searched through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/shackelford-county-tx-inmate-roster

Eastland County, Texas Inmate Roster

Publicly available records of inmates currently being incarcerated in Eastland County can be found through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/eastland-county-tx-roster-of-inmates

Comanche County, Texas Roster of Inmates

View the records of inmates in Comanche County, Texas:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/comanche-county-tx-inmate-roster

Giles County, Tennessee Current Inmates

The current inmates in the Giles County, and information concerning their charges are available to the public from here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/giles-county-tn-current-inmates

Davidson County, Tennessee Search for Active Inmates

Find active inmates and their relevant charges against them:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/davidson-county-tn-active-inmate-search

Ex-aide's charges raise questions

A former staff attorney’s lawsuit against Gov. Matt Blunt contains serious allegations of Missouri Sunshine Law violations.

The law protects public documents, which most Sunshine Law experts say include e-mails.

In his lawsuit, Scott Eckersley claims Blunt aides purposely ordered e-mails destroyed so they would not be turned over to the news media and become public.

http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/443220.html

Federal Declassification Effort Faces Huge Problem

The government is lagging far behind in declassifying its secrets and the problem is getting worse as agencies create billions more electronic records containing classified information.

In a report released Jan. 9, a joint presidential-congressional advisory panel urged greater openness, a sore subject for a White House roundly criticized for secrecy.

The Public Interest Declassification Board said President Bush could take immediate steps to address the issue.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003696050

Technology could make phone calls public record

Thankfully, voice mails are private. Right?

Those personal messages, the unconfirmed rumors and the confidential information you wouldn't dare reveal in an e-mail are safe on voice mail. Aren't they?

Phone messages are audio. There's nothing concrete. There's no paper trail.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/739735,2_1_AU14_OYTALK_S1.article

Washington County, Pennsylvania Database of Current Inmates

Look up inmates using their first/last name:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/washington-county-pa-inventory-of-inmates

Greenville County, South Carolina Inmate Lookup

Find inmates and information relating to their cases:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/greenville-county-sc-inmate-records

Florence County, South Carolina Inmate Search

Search inmates here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/florence-county-sc-search-for-inmates

Cherokee County, South Carolina Database of Inmates

View the list if inmates in its entirety;

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/cherokee-county--sc-inmate-database

Richland County, South Carolina Inmate Records

Look up inmates using their first and last name:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/richland-county-sc-record-of-inmates

Beaufort County, South Carolina Inquiry on Inmates

Search the records with name, date of birth, booking date, or prisoner ID.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/beaufort-county-sc-inmate-inquiry

York County, Pennsylvania Male/Female Inmate Lookup

Look for inmates by viewing Males or Females.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/york-county-pa-search-for-inmate

Franklin County, Pennsylvania Population of Inmates

View the inmates in Franklin County, PA:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/franklin-county-pa-inmate-population

Grady County, Oklahoma Inmate Database

Locate an inmate within the Grady County Jail:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/grady-county-ok-database-of-inmates

Linn County, Oregon Inmates in Custody

Find the inmates listed in Linn County, Oregon.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/linn-county-or-inmates-in-custody-list

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Inmate Locator

Find an inmate using the Mifflin County Inmate Locater:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/mifflin-county-pa-inmate-lookup

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Head Count of Inmates

You can view inmates alphabetically by last, first and middle initial.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/dauphin-county-pa-inmate-head-count

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Listing of Current Inmates

Locate inmates using their first/last name or jail ID number.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lancaster-county-pa-current-inmate-record

Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Inmate Resource

The listing for inmates in Armstrong County, PA:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/armstrong-county-pa-index-of-inmates

Yamhill County, Oregon Current Inmate List

Locate inmate information:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/yamhill-county-or-current-inmate-schedule

Washington County, Oregon Current Inmate Listing

Search alphabetically, or simply by last name.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/washington-county-or-inmate-list

Umatilla County, Oregon Inmate Records

Locate inmate booking, charge and release date information.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/umatilla-county-or-record-of-inmates

Tillamook County, Oregon Daily Inmate Roster

View the daily log of bookings to view their sentence status and tentative release date.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/tillamook-county-or-daily-inmate-list

Polk County, Oregon Inmates in Custody

View the inmates currently in custody:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/polk-county-or-inmates-in-custody

Multnomah County, Oregon Inmate Bookings

View the last 7 days of booking history.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/multnomah-county-or-inmate-log

Marion County, Oregon Criminal/Inmate Information

Locate inmate and criminal logs and information:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/marion-county-or-inmate-and-criminal-information

Lincoln County, Oregon Roster of Inmates

View the roster of Lincoln County inmates:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lincoln-county-or-inmate-roster

Lane County, Oregon Inmate Booking Database

Find information on inmates and their when they were booked, or released.

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/lane-county-or-inmate-booking

Deschutes County, Oregon Listing of Imates

View the simple list of inmates and the date they were booked:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/deschutes-county-or-inmate-listing

Hardee County, Florida Daily Arrest Log

View the list of daily arrests:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/hardee-county-fl-inmate-arrest-log

Josephine County OR Roll Call of Inmates

Josephine County makes locating an inmate easy through this search:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/josephine-county-or-inmate-roll-call

Jackson County, Oregon Inmates Index

Locate an inmate via this link:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/jackson-county-or-inmates-index

Gilliam County, Oregon Roster of Inmates

The roster of Gilliam inmates is found through here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/gilliam-county-or-inmate-roster

Douglas County, Oregon Search for Inmates

Search the inmates here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/douglas-county-or-search-for-inmates

Crook County, Oregon Listing of Inmates

All current inmates in the Crook County Jail system:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/crook-county-or-inmate-listing

Columbia County, Oregon Current Inmate Population

View the current Inmates in Columbia County:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/columbia-county-or-current-inmate-population

Benton County, Oregon Inmate Report

View the newest and current inmates in Benton County:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/benton-county-or-inmate-report

Baker County, Oregon Inmate Listing

View the list here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/baker-county-or-jail-inmate-list

Clackamas County, Oregon Roster of Inmates

Locate folks here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/clackamas-county-or-roster-of-inmates

Tulsa County, Oklahoma Inmate Information Center

Find information on inmates currently incarcerated in the Tulsa County jail:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/tulsa-county-ok-inmate-information-center

Osage County, Oklahoma Schedule of Inmates

Find an inmate:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/osage-county-ok-inmate-schedule

Pawnee County, Oklahoma Report of Inmates

Locate or research inmates:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/pawnee-county-ok-inmate-report

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Inmate Query

Query Inmates here:

http://publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/oklahoma-county-ok-inmate-query

Comanche County, Oklahoma Inmate Records

Records on inmates can be found here:

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/comanche-county-ok-inmate-populace-search

Canadian County, Oklahoma Inmate Lookup

Look for inmates using as little as their first initial and last name.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/canadian-county-ok-inmate-locator

Washington County, Ohio Inmate Database

Find the inmate quickly by hitting "ctrl F".

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/washington-county-oh-current-inmate-roster

Pickaway County, Ohio Current Inmate Listing

Search inmates:

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/pickaway-county-oh-inmate-listing

Mahoning County, Ohio Current List of Inmates

Find the active inmates as well as detailed archives, release schedule, and more.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/mahoning-county-oh-active-inmates

Logan County, Ohio Inmate Listing

See who's currently being held in the Logan County jail.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/logan-county-oh-current-inmates

Licking County, Ohio Inmate Locator

Locate folks being held in Licking County, Ohio.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/licking-county-oh-inmate-search

Highland County, Onio Inmate Database

Utilize this link to find folks currently in the Highland County Jail system.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/highland-county-oh-current-inmate-database

Gallia County, Ohio Current and Past Inmate Listing

Locate people who are, or who have been incarcerated in Gallia County.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/gallia-county-oh-current-and-past-inmate-listing

Coshocton County, Ohio Search for Inmates

Locating inmates is Coshocton County has never been so easy!

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/coshocton-county-oh-roster-of-inmates

Southeast Ohio Regional Jail Inmate Records

This page provides links to currently housed inmates as well as previously housed inmates. The currently housed list includes inmates in Multiple counties which are Perry, Athens, Hocking, Morgan, Vinton and Fairfield County.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/southeast-ohio-regional-jail-inmate-records

Rowan County, North Carolina Inmate Roster

This list is updated daily.

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/rowan-county-nc-listing-of-inmates

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Locate inmates presently incarcerated:

http://www.publicrecordswire.com/resources/show/mecklenburg-county-nc-inmate-records