I recall
the Commitee on Automation and Technology considered this issue. I'm
copying some of the AOUSC folks to see if there is any background
material that might help.
Jim
Keane
"The
only way in which to circumvent this system is by bribing
a member of the judge's staff to submit a forged order to the
system."
That
statement may be a bit bullish. I have heard of persons entering systems and
placing unauthorized material there.
Still, the statement "I believe that the issue John is
so concerned about is adequately addressed by this process" could be true. It
is a matter of the level of risk you want to accept. It seems a fair question
to probe the means employed by the system to prevent unauthorized deposit of
information. Maybe those means are adequate or maybe there is room for
improvement. What is adequate could depend on the type of the order and what
was adequate yesterday may not be adequate
tomorrow.
--Charles
On the last conference call, John
Messing insisted that the work of this subcommittee could not proceed further
until the issue of the security of judges' orders was adequately
addressed. John is concerned that electronic judicial orders will be
forged and criminals will be released from jail or prison as a
result.
The federal court efiling system,
and most state and local systems, have solved this problem by treating the
electronic record contained in the court's data base to be the official
judge's order. The system can guarantee the authenticity of these
electronic orders because it will not accept orders coming from any address
except the judge's chambers. Persons wishing to verify the legitimacy of
a purported order can go online, access the court's electronic data base and
view the official order there. The court advises law enforcement and
correctional personnel to check orders in that fashion; they should not rely
on a transmitted or printed copy of such an order. This process provides
security far exceeding anything available in the paper world today. The
only way in which to circumvent this system is by bribing a member of the
judge's staff to submit a forged order to the system. That risk is
minimal.
I believe that the issue John is
so concerned about is adequately addressed by this process.
John M.
Greacen
Greacen Associates,
LLC
HCR 78,
Box 23
Regina,
New Mexico
87046
505-289-2164
505-780-1450
(cell)