Court records: public access.

Existing law requires the Judicial Council to adopt rules of court to establish the standards and guidelines for the creation, maintenance, reproduction, and preservation of court records, and requires that these standards and guidelines reflect industry standards for each medium used, ensure the accuracy and preserve the integrity of the records, and ensure that the public can access and reproduce the records. Specifically, unless access is otherwise restricted by law, court records created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced under specified provisions are required to be made reasonably accessible to all members of the public for viewing and duplication, and electronic court records must be viewable at the court, whether or not they are accessible remotely. Additionally, rules of court require courts to provide public access to electronic records, as specified. This bill would require the Judicial Council, in consultation with stakeholder groups, and within 18 months of the date of enactment of this act, to adopt a rule of court to require courts to provide the public with same-day access to case-initiating civil and criminal court records, as defined, at no cost to the requester, for viewing at the courthouse.