Mar 3, 2009

Free PACER?

From Wired:
The head of a powerful Senate committee wants the federal courts to explain why its online database still charges 8 cents a page for court documents, and why many of those documents still contain Social Security numbers and other sensitive information. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut), who helms the Senate's government affairs committee, is annoyed ...

He's asking Judge Lee H. Rosenthal to explain why in the age of Google the Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, system isn't free for citizens. He'd also like to know why federal courts still aren't blacking out sensitive information in court documents as required in the 2002 E-Government Act (a piece of legislation dear to Lieberman).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would also like to know why federal agencies, bound by the Privacy Act, so regularly violate it. Meanwhile, you can be sure hackers and other information miners are aware of the ready availability of this information through PACER. For only pennies, they can reap significant returns.

Anonymous said...

I'm not an attorney.Adequate or proper access is due process.It should be free.