According to the Wausau Daily Herald, it seems that the Wisconsin Courts have organized a committee “charged with reviewing the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access policy on what is available on the site and whether that information is adequately explained.”
The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) database, also known as CCAP for the case management system it uses, contains the records of all Wisconsin county courts except Portage County. Wisconsin is one of the only states in the country to have a unified system for county court case management. The popular database receives close to 2 million hits per day. Critics argue that the information contained on WCCA could be misinterpreted.
According to the article:
Since Wisconsin Circuit Court records became available online in 1999, officials have received a steady stream of accolades and complaints, said John Voelker, director of state courts.
Nothing is available on the site that isn’t a public record and available at the courthouse in Marathon County or across the state. But the Internet makes it a lot easier to see those records a lot more quickly.
Voelker recently convened a committee charged with reviewing the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access policy on what is available on the site and whether that information is adequately explained. Those with competing interests, from privacy advocates to media representatives, will discuss the policy and determine whether changes are needed.
Thanks to Tamara Thompson of PI Newslink for the tip.