BRB's Public Records Blog

Public Access in Erie County, New York

The public access computer in Erie County, NY court was removed in June. Prior to removal, the court had a public computer located in the basement of the County Clerk's office available to the public, which contained their criminal index. Due to this recent removal, the public can no longer review or search the court’s criminal index independently. Individuals seeking to perform record searches are referred to the New York State Office of Court Administration, also known as OCA. Searches performed by the OCA are $95.00 each. Alternatively, if you know the case number, the clerk can provide you with a certificate of disposition at $5.00 per case. There are only two clerks at this court, which may not allow them to accommodate large requests. A member of the clerk's staff shared that the removal of the terminal was due to a statewide decision that will cause any remaining public computers across the state to be removed. No time frame was provided. To note, most courts do refer requestors to the OCA, so this is not something altogether new in New York. It does, however, create a barrier to what was a simple process. Additionally, it causes delays and added expenses to the process. If you are not familiar with OCA, you can learn more by visiting https://ww2.nycourts.gov/apps/chrs/index.shtml.

Pennsylvania Driving Record Fee

On July 1, 2023, the fee to obtain a Pennsylvania driving record increased from $12.22 to $14.00. This increase, mandated by Act 89 of 2013, affects both manual and online requests. Additionally, the cost for certification has increased from $38.00 to $44.00. Note that certifications can only be requested in person or by mail.

BRB has a list of all State MVR Fees available at https://www.mvrdecoder.com/driving-record-fees.

Missouri Court Documents Now Online

Court documents filed on or after July 1, 2023, are now available online to view, download, and print in certain counties. Previously access to view any documents was only available at each individual courthouse using the public access terminal or with the assistance of court staff.

Missouri is utilizing its online case management system, CaseNet, to provide the expanded access to court documents in a scheduled rollout. See the chart below to learn when each county will have documents available. Please note that at this time, only documents filed on or after July 1, 2023, will be accessible and not all historical records.

Note: There are strict redaction requirements in place for anyone filing a document. This includes the following personal identifying information: SSN, DOB, Driver License number, and State ID. These redaction requirements help ensure that the public’s privacy and safety are not compromised.

On or after July 16th	Circuits 1-11: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Clark, Clay, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Marion, Mercer, Monroe, Nodaway, Platte, Putnam, Ralls, Ray, Schuyler, Scotland, St. Charles, Sullivan, Worth
On or after August 20th	Circuits 12-21: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cass, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Howard, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Montgomery, Osage, Pettis, Randolph, Saline, St. Louis, Warren
On or after September 17th	Circuits 22-29: Barton, Bates, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Dade, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Madison, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Phelps, Pulaski, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis City, Ste. Genevieve, Texas, Vernon, Washington
On or after October 22nd	Circuits 30-46: Barry, Bollinger, Butler, Caldwell, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Christian, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Daviess, Dekalb, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Greene, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Lawrence, Lincoln, Livingston, Macon, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Polk, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Shelby, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Wayne, Webster, Wright

 

More About CaseNet

Missouri CaseNet, is an online system for access to civil, probate, traffic/municipal, infraction, *paternity, *adult & child protection, and criminal docket data. The system includes all Circuit Courts, City of St. Louis, the Eastern, Western, and Southern Appellate Courts, the Supreme Court, and Fine Collection Center. A number of Municipal Courts also participate.

There are a variety of searches available, including by name, case number, attorney, and date filed. One cannot search by DOB. CaseNet search results show full name and address, and only the year of birth, if available. Results will provide year of birth for criminal but not for civil, family or judgments. Note the following statement found at the web page:

    The information available on Case.net is provided as a service and is not considered an official court record.

The CaseNet system is what the counties’ courthouse public access terminals show on their screens, therefore an online search of CaseNet is considered to be equivalent to an initial search of the public access terminal at the courthouse.

 *paternity (only if judgment is against litigant), *adult & child protection (dismissed cases are not listed)