Mercury News Sues for Access to Court Data

The San Jose Mercury News is suing the Santa Clara County Superior Court, its top executive officer and a presiding judge to gain broader access to court documents.

Until two months ago, the public could use courthouse computers to access a database that provided summaries of a case, actions and motions and a listing of all parties.

The Mercury News had filed public-record requests to obtain an electronic copy of the database for use in reporting. In February, the presiding judge and court chief executive officer said the database contained confidential information and refused to give out the contents in electronic form.

Then, in August, the court restricted how much information it publicly released in the case dockets, again citing confidentiality concerns and problems converting to a new information-management system. The only information available now is the case name or number, legal parties involved and whether the case has been decided.