Proposed Search Fee Threatens Access to Public Court Records-$10 fee on every court file requested
Proposed Search Fee Threatens Access to Public Court Records
(CN) - A bill written by California's Administrative Office of the Courts would impose a $10 fee on every court file requested by a journalist, a fee that would inevitably limit access to public documents.
"It would be intolerable for a journalist and for press coverage in general," said Terry Francke of the open government group Californians Aware. "The rate that you're talking about is absolutely prohibitive."
Judges and court clerks conceded that the fee would apply to nearly everyone who wants to look at a court file, including journalists who regularly review a large number of files in covering a courthouse.
"If you asked for 10 files and you're a reporter, it's probably going to be $100 in that situation," said Santa Clara County's head court clerk, David Yamasaki.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/13/55701.htm