Limiting Access to Court Records

Proposed rules that would shield some court records from public view are headed for the Ohio Supreme Court. The proposal represents the court's attempt to write statewide standards as to what is and is not public court record and to map the process judges must follow in deciding when to shield information.

The process began six years ago addressing identify theft concerns stemming from making court records available on the Internet. But the proposal goes beyond preventing online surfers from seeing Social Security and bank account numbers. They would also place other records, such as juvenile and probate cases, off limits both in courthouses and on the Internet.

Under the rules, a party to a case or anyone mentioned in it could request that part or all of the record be hidden. The court must notify all parties in the case, but the rules do not mandate that the judge hold a hearing.

The full seven-justice court could consider the proposed rules as soon as August.

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Rules limiting access to court records debated