Marriage Records bill SB62 removes race criteria from application
The marriage records bill SB62 is a bi partisan big step forward. Consequently there is no requirement to disclose race when filing divorce/marriage records or annulment reports (State Registrar). The new policy has a box immediately under the race question “Declined to Answer”. Moreover clerks now required to issue licenses irrespective of the applicant’s answer and/or should the applicant’s defer….
Elder Care giver receives 18 month sentence for exploitation
An elder caregiver in Boise, Idaho found guilty for the abuse of an elderly couple. The arrest of Sherri Watring (53) was made in January 2019 and charges were of 2 felony counts, that being abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult. The elder care giver also charged with exploitation in excess of $1000. Subsequently a further misdemeanour charge of…
New York Birth Records access for Adoptees after 80 years
Adopted children in New York have been denied access to their original birth records for 80 years. However that has all changed and access to New York birth records are now providing answers that many thought would never see the light of day and New York has become the 10th state to open adoption records without restrictions. New York State sealed…
Pennsylvania DUI may undermine Second Amendment rights
A Pennsylvania DUI conviction may prohibit the right to owning firearms in Pennsylvania subsequent to a precedent. How high is the bar raised in respect of the level or degree of a crime that bars gun ownership. A serious crime (Federal law) is a crime carrying a two year (or more) sentence in state prison. An individual barred from buying…
Should Ventura County Death Records be Available to the Public
Ventura County leaders have agreed to sponsor legislation barring Ventura County death records disclosure/access to the general public. Whether this will have a knock on effect on California State Death Records remains to be seen. California’s open records law however could be seen as retracing it’s steps according to 1st Amendment advocates. The vote by the Ventura county board of…
MTA Background Check On Transit Workers Flawed
The MTA background check has allowed some employees with convictions for serious crime to slip through the net. According to a recent audit from the inspector general of the MTA points to flaws in both the city and the authority’s background checks. The Inspector General (MTA) found major failings especially relating to large numbers of applicant’s histories. The findings applied…
Tenant Background Check Could be Banned in Berkeley
Those renters filling out a tenant background check who have a felony in Berkeley know that their application may well be destined for the shredder. The check boxes for references and employment are a breeze but one box is a real fly in the ointment. Activists and numerous elected officials now want Berkeley to implement “Ban the Box” in to…
PACER Court Records Unlikely to be Provided Free of Charge
,PACER court records requires a funding source, to offer them to the public for free will only require an alternative funding option. Legislation proposes free access however this would increase litigation costs (Court fees) and may well present a bar to justice as a result of these costs. PACER is the federal court’s electronic records system. Without additional options the…
Criminal Records Expungement Program Pays $500 for Records Removal
Ohio-based CareSource is a non profit nationally recognized health plan. As a result one of the country’s largest administrators of Medicaid. The Indiana re entry criminal records expungement program will assist those returning to successfully adjust and transition back in to society. CareSource have received Indiana State approval for the $500 per person contribution. The health plan provider sees the…
Ohio Background Check Laws to be Enhanced
The Ohio background check system is under the spotlight. Of the 500,000 warrants open in Ohio only around 18,000 registered in to the federal background check system. Seen as a “major flaw” by the governor, the system exists to vet purchasers and prohibit ownership to those barred. A plan put forward by the Governor that would require the submission of…