EDITORIAL: Remove barriers remain to access court records in Nevada

A transparent and accountable judicial system is a hallmark of a healthy democracy. But efforts to make it easier for Nevadans to access information from the courts have been evolving slowly. That must change.

A report released this week by the Nevada Open Government Coalition — sponsored by media organizations, including the Review-Journal — found that only one of the state’s 17 district courts allows members of the public to see judicial documents online. Fifteen of the courts have no means to allow taxpayers to view case information remotely.

District courts handle cases of general jurisdiction, including criminal and civil matters and family and juvenile cases.

Clark County is the lone jurisdiction that has moved into the 21st century. All District Court case information and documents are available online. Washoe County has made some headway, with case information available to taxpayers remotely. The remaining district courts — all in rural counties — have yet to implement online portals.

All the courts offer in-person access to records and documents. But this can often be problematic for watchdogs and residents of large, sparsely populated counties, making it more difficult for them to keep abreast of judicial proceedings.

In addition, there is no standard approach to making documents available. The coalition found “a patchwork of policies and rules that can complicate the public’s ability to obtain court records.” That also includes fee schedules for obtaining documents, which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

There are improvements on the horizon, the report found. Pershing County — county seat Lovelock in Northern Nevada — hopes to have an online system implemented within five years. Churchill County — county seat Fallon, east of Reno — plans on unveiling a limited online portal in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts has directed $25 million in federal pandemic funding toward expanding electronic filing of court documents. A portion of that money should also go to help rural courts revamp their websites to allow increased document access. State lawmakers last session found millions of dollars for various pet projects. Surely they can appropriate money to improve transparency in the state’s judicial system.

“The right to access court proceedings is a fundamental tenet of our democracy and the fair adjudication of justice,” the coalition notes. “Yet far too often, members of the public, the media and advocacy groups face barriers and challenges seeking information about legal matters processed by state and federal court systems.”

Nevada lawmakers and court officials must work to remove those barriers.