Searching for California court records could cost significantly more if the state legislature adopts a proposal in the governor’s budget to charge $10 for each record search, reports Judy Lin of the Associated Press. If enacted, fees generated would be allocated to support the court system. (The Record Searchlight, March 21, 2013)
The Senate version of the bill included an exemption for journalists, but Jim Ewert of the California Newspaper Publishers Association was unimpressed, “Number one, we don’t know what the exemption does. Number two, it’s just a bad idea to deny access to records that the public has already paid for, and shield the public from an institution that it already has very little understanding about.” (Courthouse News Service, May 28, 2013, by Maria Dinzeo) -db