Maine’s high court weighing comments on limiting public access to digital records
Sun Journal
December 11, 2017
The Maine Supreme Court is exploring the implementation of a new system to provide attorneys instant access to court documents, while other Mainers would still need to request the records at a courthouse. Sig Schutz discusses the problems with limiting public access to court records, calling open court proceedings and records a hallmark of American democracy.
An Excerpt
“The public does not benefit from a secret court system, operating in obscurity, with meaningful access limited only to persons deemed worthy of finding out what’s going on,” Schutz wrote in a testimony opposing the task force’s recommendation. “In the long run, secrecy is corrosive to the justice system.”