Tuesday, April 26, 2011

New Developments Regarding Public Access to Court Records

The Wyoming Supreme Court announced two developments today that will result in greater public access to court records.  The Information Technology staff of the Court has worked with the circuit clerks and those district court clerks who have FULLCOURT, a uniform docket management system, to create regular reports that can be provided to the public and the news media about new filings, dispositions, judgments and satisfaction of judgments.  In addition, the Court has completed its efforts over the last few months to provide public computer terminals in all 29 circuit courts, which allow the public access to circuit court information statewide.  Chief Justice Marilyn Kite commended the Court’s IT staff and the clerks of court for all of their work to accomplish these improvements to public access.

Chief Justice Kite also explained that the Court amended its Order Adopting Rules Governing Access to Court Records to allow access to compiled information on those same types of records directly from the clerks of district court in those districts that do not yet have a uniform docket management system.    She noted that “A new uniform district court case management system is in the design phase and is scheduled to be rolled out in 2012 and that system will provide access to the above described compiled information in all district courts, once it is in place,” Kite stated. “As a branch of government, we are working hard to provide access to court information without compromising the privacy rights of the very citizens who use our court system or imposing the burden on the clerks of court to compile information at the request of multiple members of the public.”

The Order Amending Rules Governing Access to Court Records can be found on the Wyoming Supreme Court’s website at: