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Superior Court Cases – Hindrances and Alternatives
Superior Court cases involve matters such as proving a will, settling
estate, hearing divorce procedures, child custody concerns, criminal cases, and
appeals made on decisions of a District Court. Whatever your reason, find out
where to best sources these documents.
The availability or unavailability of court cases over the Internet has
reflected the federal government's efforts to strike a balance between the
public's right to information on government acts that impact public welfare (as
mandated by The Freedom of Information Act) and an individual's right to privacy
(as decreed in The Privacy Act).
Government's efforts in this respect have grown increasingly hard to follow, as
one superior court puts its records online, only to cancel their availability or
restrict access after a public outcry, or after cases are filed in court. It has
gotten so that it is difficult to keep track of which superior court's records
are online and which are not!
Superior Court Cases - How They Become “Sealed”
Superior court cases are a matter of public record, unless they involve a minor.
Minors victimized by adult abuse, for example, are granted anonymity under the
court's protection.
Otherwise, superior court records are filed with the clerk of court, who
maintains a civil and criminal case-index under the name of the plaintiff or
defendant in the case. Superior court records include evidence presented in
court, among other data, such as the outcome of the case, the settlement
awarded, etc.
A judge can order the sealing of court records (in whole or in part) upon the
petition of an individual involved in the case. The court may also seal records
of its own accord. Medical and psychiatric evaluations, for instance, are
routinely sealed off and removed from public records.
Divorce proceedings are normally a matter of public record, unless they are
sealed for any of the reason mentioned above or are filed in New York State
where, without exception, they remain sealed for a hundred years.
Alternative Records Sources
A database of superior court cases is just one of the many sources of public
information. Public records data are also collected by the following.
Federal units, such as the:
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Internal Revenue Service
• Environmental Protection Agency
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Federal courts (civil, criminal, bankruptcy, etc.)
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Securities and Exchange Commission
State units, such as the:
• State Department of Motor Vehicles
• State Health Department
• State courts
• State penitentiary
• State license and permit agencies
County/city units per state
These units may make their records available online as an index or allow
eligible/paying individuals to request detailed information and record copies.
That’s a lot of places to search isn’t it? If you want to conduct just ONE search
that will go over most (if not all!) of the sources mentioned above, give the
superior court case providers listed at
RecordsSiteReviews a try!
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