MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Governor Jim Doyle says a judge should have the power to delete an innocent person’s court record. Doyle told the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s meeting in Middleton that online court records make life a nightmare for those charged but never convicted. The governor says a bill to limit the public’s access to the popular online court records goes too far – but he agrees that something must be done to protect those who are truly innocent.
Meanwhile, the State Supreme Court will hear arguments February 24th on a request by the State Bar for a rule that allows all state judges to expunge court records for those whose charges are dropped. Doyle says if an online court record is deleted, then the paper record of that case should be trashed as well. Those paper courthouse records would still be kept under Assembly Democrat Marlin Schneider’s bill to let the general public see only the online records of those found guilty.
