Stay home, save money, save gas:
Access to criminal records now more convenient, and free
By Anne P. Williamson
Internet search engines like Google and Yahoo have trained consumers to expect fast, easy access to information. That expectation extends to government services as technology offers more and more opportunities to modernize records retrieval.
A new Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS), available on the Clerk & Comptroller’s Web site, is the result of years of planning and partnership between all the key players in the justice system (Clerk, Sheriff, State Attorney, Public Defender, the Courts, law enforcement agencies and the county’s Information Systems Services department) and software vendor ACS.
Despite easy access to criminal and traffic records at the Clerk’s offices, parking problems, traffic and long lines made trips to the courthouse impractical for the public and the media. Now, anyone with Internet access can search criminal court and traffic records.
Visit www.pbcountyclerk.com and click on “ClerkConnect.” Unlike many public records Web sites across the country, there is no charge to access these records in Palm Beach County.
Simply enter a name or a case number and the records will appear. If you do not know the spelling of a name, the system offers a phonetic search option.
CJIS provides this information online:
|
Just click on the criminal record you need and scroll through the case’s history.
Privacy and security were primary considerations in the development of the new system. CJIS conceals personal information like social security numbers and bank account numbers from public view.
Other online records searches provided by on Clerk & Comptroller’s Web site are civil court records, Official Records such as mortgages, deeds and liens and County Commission meeting records.
Anne P. Williamson is the Manager of the County Criminal Court and has been with the Clerk & Comptroller’s office for almost 18 years.