Legal question: Are court records open to the public?

[TLee4]

My husband had some stupid issue with his license plate or sticker or something (all unclear to me...). It took a while to get resolved but I thought that it WAS all resolved. So anyway, he got pulled over for something else, and his license showed up as suspended again (over this same issue).

BUT I seem to have thrown away the old paperwork :( :rolleyes: because I am STUPID and I thought it was resolved! (I'm assuming that I might have thrown it away, b/c I can't find it, and I have a bad habit of tossing things).

So is there a way for me to look up the old court documentation which showed that this issue was resolved?

Terri

[cangoss]

Call the court clerk in the county where he had the infraction, and they should be able to tell you what you need to do to get the papers. (Probably either go there in person if it's close enough, or write a letter to request the records). If you're very lucky, the court will be online, but that's not very likley for a smaller court.

(From an unemployed law librarian)

[TLee4]

Thank you...I will try that!

Terri

[ErinM]

And if anyone lives in Wisconsin, or knows people that do, there's a great website that will tell you if a person's ever been in the court system:

Wisconsin Court System (http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl;jsessionid=ADDBE7EEA0B7A854F7 8D17E5D3B475D3.render1?)


I found that a former flame was picked up for marijuana posession! :eek: Glad I didn't end up with him!

ETA: Terri, my intent in posting this was to see if maybe Illinois has a similar system. And, if you find one, let me know about it! :o

[Gilgamesh37]

Terri--the other thing you should probably do once you have the court paperwork is contact the DMV---it sounds like maybe it's their records that have the glitch. Remember license privileges are directed by the DMV not the court system (as in, you can be found not guilty of DUI by the STate, and the DMV can still suspend your license for it because as an administrative agency they have a different level of proof)

[TLee4]

Thanks..you are right..I think the glitch IS in the DMV..I just figure that they will be worse to deal with than the court, so I'll start with the court!

Erin..it's good to investigate these things! :D If I was dating I think I would research all men now that the capabilities are there!

Terri

[ErinM]

Yeah, it's easy to waste time there. Most of my family members are there, generally for speeding tickets. Although it's also interesting to note that my parents' divorce is on the site and it was final in 1982. Yet, my step dad's first divorce isn't.

Also, spent some time looking up former high school classmates. Yikes, some have really gotten into trouble!

[Robyn1007]

I found that a former flame was picked up for marijuana posession! :eek: Glad I didn't end up with him!



Here in Colorado in my age group its abnormal to have all people in any given group of friends be non-users. It still gives me a bit of a start when I'm at any given party and its pulled out. I always refuse and nobody ever questions me but its just part of the norm....

Terri, good luck, I always have a fear that things won't get recorded correctly and I'll end up in that situation. Yikes!