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Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Courts - Safeguarding Illinois judges' voter registration records
Michael Sneed, Chicago Sun-Times columnist, has an item today about safeguarding judges' voter registration records:
Sneed hears the Chicago Election Board is drafting legislation to protect the voter registration records of the state's judiciary from stalkers and disgruntled defendants.The downshot: Voter registration records, which include home addresses and often telephone numbers, are by law public records and subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
The upshot: The proposed legislation, which would allow the sealing of the judiciary's registration records, was prompted by concerns of retaliation against judges by disgruntled trial participants, such as the crazed man who murdered the husband and mother-in-law of Judge Joan Lefkow in their North Side home.The buckshot: Chicago Election Chairman Langdon D. Neal said the program would be optional for judges, who would vote by absentee ballot and omit their home addresses from public records. Neal said the program would be similar to a 2000 law that allows victims of domestic violence to enroll in an address confidentiality program.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 1, 2005 07:17 AM
Posted to General Law Related