MINUTES
JIS Data Dissemination Committee

AOC SeaTac Office

Members Present:

Judge Ken Grosse, Chair, Washington State Court of Appeals
Judge Glenna Hall, King County Superior Court
Judge James Heller, Pierce County District Court
Judge Kip Stilz, Thurston County District Court
Siri Woods, Chelan County Superior Court Clerk – via speakerphone
Judge Thomas Wynne, Snohomish County Superior Court

Guests:

Sara Ainsworth, Northwest Women's Law Center
Barb Miner, King County Superior Court
Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers
Scott Wetzel, Lexis Nexis

AOC Staff:

Brian Backus
John Bell
Jennifer Creighton

Judge Grosse opened the meeting and introductions were made.

The minutes from the 6/30/2006 meeting were approved.

Recent Federal Amendments to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Recent federal legislation concerning online access to protection orders was discussed.  Justice Bridge asked the DD Committee to look at this issue again and determine if we believed JIS is in compliance.  The person database allows remote access to protection orders.  It does not allow access to foreign protection orders.  Judge Grosse stated that the main concern should be whether there is effective enforcement of the protection orders and whether there is sufficient due process if identifying information is removed from public access.

Sara Ainsworth responded that the federal legislation was not intended to stop public access to protection orders, only internet access.  She believes that this legislation applies to all protection orders which is supported by the letter written by Grace Huang of the Washington Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Siri Woods asked if there were good reasons to have this information publicly available and if not, what it would cost to protect the identification of victims in protection orders.  The Committee asked Jennifer Creighton, Information Access manager at AOC, to determine: (1) What can be done; (2) How is it done; (3) What will it cost.  Ms. Creighton agreed to report back to the Committee on this information by the next meeting.

Defendant's Addresses

Judge Stilz reported that the focus group of the Data Exchange Committee has expressed the opinion that the case/name search website omit providing addresses.  Judge Stilz stated the focus group believed that the addresses were unreliable and out-of-date.  Judge Stilz further commented that he did not believe the courts would be in compliance with the federal VAWA law if addresses were made available through the website.

This issue would be discussed further at the next meeting.

Confidentiality of Sealed Court Records in the Appellate Courts

Judge Grosse stated that the issue of the confidentiality of court records sealed in the Superior Court in cases that had been appealed has been an issue in Division One, Court of Appeals.  He stated that an opinion had just been drafted that addresses this issue and that it would be available by the next DD meeting.

Non-conviction Data Available on Case/Name Search Website

This issue was tabled until the next meeting.