The Internet era has eroded a Supreme Court decision (Department of Justice v. Reporters’ Committee) allowing governments to deny rap sheets requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Now it is possible to tap into a national database provided by the federal courts to obtain the information.
In an opinion a federal judge has even acknowledged the possibility of using the national database, a sure indication that that privacy exemption has been seriously weakened. -db
From a commentary in Politico, September 7, 2011, by Josh Gerstein.