Marlin Schneider

MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) - The state Legislature’s top privacy advocate admits there’s not enough support to pass a bill to limit public access to the state’s popular Internet court records. But Assembly Democrat Marlin Schneider of Wisconsin Rapids said it will happen sometime, once lawmakers realize the access is hurting too many people’s chances of getting jobs and apartments.

An Assembly committee has recommended a bill that only lets police, court officials, journalists, and some others see the entire on-line court records. The general public would only see those convicted of crimes – although they can still get the whole scoop at county courthouses.

At a recent public hearing, Schneider said he got hundreds of letters from innocent people who said the on-line court records have hurt their lives.

But the Associated Press found that only 59 people wrote to Schneider about the subject in the last four years – and just 22 said the on-line court records hurt them after their charges were dropped or they were found innocent.

Schneider admitted to the A-P he overstated his case – but he said the actual numbers of complaints are probably the tip of the iceberg.

Bill Lueders, head of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said Schneider always assumes that court records are blame when they get denied jobs or apartments – but there could be other factors. He says Schneider apparently believes Wisconsinites are too mean or stupid to be trusted with information about their courts.