A plethora of records are available to the public at courthouses statewide.
Leflore County Circuit Clerk Trey Evans said most of the records in his office may be viewed by the public. The two main exceptions are youth court and documents related to ongoing grand-jury proceedings.
In the case of youth court, not much information is recorded anyway, other than the youth's name, the charge and the order entered, such as the order of a youth to training school. Proceedings are conducted behind closed doors.
The exclusion for grand-jury material applies to the jury's meetings and indictments that haven't been served yet.
Evans said that in criminal cases, judges have latitude in determining what documents might be sealed. For example, this might be done if the court is trying to obtain someone's phone records or other personal information.
Also, in civil cases, sensitive information such as medical records can be withheld from view.
In the case of voter rolls, Evans said, citizens may request copies, but some personal information, such as other people's Social Security numbers and phone numbers, will be blacked out or removed.
Evans said some have pushed to list Social Security numbers on judgment rolls, but there is the concern about potential identity theft. Also, there is the chance that creditors could use a Social Security number to find someone and mistakenly target someone else with the same name.
On the other hand, some documents - for example, items related to collection of a bad debt - arrive in his office with Social Security numbers, and no law requires him to blot them out. "It's delivered to us in that form from the attorney's office with whatever information's on there for the individual."
The copying charge for any document under Evans' control is $1 a page, which is set by statute.
Evans said not many people ask him for records, other than attorneys and others who have business with the court.
Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham said most of the documents in his office are public record unless they are restricted by a court order. Such an order is rare, he said.
The only papers restricted are adoption records, records for mental patients, and commitment orders for drug or alcohol abuse. Also, people may not look at other look at documents related to others' military service because those will have Social Security numbers.
"We try to work with everybody to give them as much access to the records here as possible," Abraham said.
The copying charge is 25 cents a page if the citizen makes the copies and 50 cents a page if someone from the office does it.
Tax Assessor Leroy Ware said all of the assessment information in his office may be viewed by the public.
"If you want to come in and look at anybody's property card or get a map, you can," he said.
Land rolls are public as well. However, the lists of equipment for personal and real property are not. A person can find out the property's value but not what kind of equipment is included.
Much of the information related to homestead exemptions is public record. However, the filer's Social Security number will be whited out. Also shielded is some information provided by first-time filers, such as the amount paid for a house and the down payment.
