Court Records Recommendations Expected in Mid-January

Judge Robert Bell, chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, established the 18-member committee after a December 2000 hearing on a controversial proposal to restrict public access to court records,

The group has met three times since its first meeting in April to study and make recommendations concerning public access to court records, particularly electronic records. A main focus is the criminal and civil case histories currently available to the public by dial-up access to the Judicial Information System.

The meetings have involved the articulation and discussion of the specific issues the committee needs to address, according to Carol Melamed of the Washington Post, who represents MDDC on the committee.

Melamed, chair of MDDC’s Government Affairs Committee, has made clear to the court committee the benefits of maximizing access to the public, including the press.

Minutes of the meetings can been found on the Court of Appeals’ Web site at www.courts.state.md.us/access.

Melamed stressed the need for MDDC members to familiarize themselves with the issues and invites anyone who has questions to e-mail her at melamedc@washpost.com. She will be glad to send relevant written material to anyone who is interested.

Once the draft report and recommendations are complete, there will be an opportunity for written comments.