The state Assembly Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing Thursday regarding a new bill that would limit public access to the Consolidated Court Automation Programs.
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.
The proposed bill would 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.
State Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, said the purpose of the bill is to allow people who have been wrongfully accused of crimes to remove their case from CCAP. He said the details of people’s cases are very personal, and it can be disconcerting to know anyone with Internet access can view their case online.
Tracy Olkwitz, who was wrongfully accused of molesting two 7-year-old girls in 1993, said people see her case on CCAP but do not take note that the charges have been dismissed, and she can’t do anything about it.
“I’m the one who’s left to deal with this mess,” Olkwitz said.
But Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court Sheila Reiff, who also works on CCAP Steering Committee, said limiting CCAP access also limits victims’ access.
“Victims always look at CCAP to see where their cases are,” Reiff said. “There’s a safety issue with CCAP.”
