Wisconsin citizens could see their access to previously public state legal records limited if a new bill introduced in the state Assembly were to pass.
The bill, which aims to limit the public’s ability to use Wisconsin’s Consolidated Court Automation Programs program, is currently in the committee stage. CCAP allows the public to search legal proceedings that have been filed in state court using party names, and then generates information regarding filed documents, decisions and final case outcomes.
If the bill is signed into law, it will create two separate databases. One database would be available to the general public and contain limited information that only becomes available after a case has concluded. The other would resemble CCAP’s current form and would be available for professionals such as law enforcement, journalists and real estate owners.
The bill also requires any person who denies someone employment or tenancy because of information on CCAP to inform the denied individual of the reason for denial.
State Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, authored the bill and has been joined by other state Democrats including Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison.
