Perform a Public Records Check? not with theses sherrifs

Hey,
You may find this article interesting:

Sheriffs go too far in fighting public records
By the Union-Bulletin Editorial Board
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Many sheriff's departments in Oregon, including Umatilla County, have embarked on a campaign to get people with concealed weapons permits to sign letters or documents asking that the public record of the permit not be made available to the public.It's not often you'll find law enforcement officials lobbying people to take advantage of what may be a temporary loophole in the law.Oregon law considers concealed weapons permits public records and it says so on the permit form. Or at least it did until some departments removed that reference and added a box to check to keep the information confidential.

The waters became muddied when a Jackson County Circuit Court judge ruled that personal security could be a reason to exempt the concealed-weapons records from public scrutiny.The issue is now in the Court of Appeals, where there is a very good chance the decision will be reversed. The state's security provision was intended to apply to broad public situations, such as plans to thwart terrorists or to protect City Hall.

According to The Oregonian, this exemption has never been applied to private parties.Instead of waiting for this to work its way through the court process, the sheriff's departments are attempting to bring political pressure by scaring permit holders.

What they aren't telling them is the permits have always been open to the public, just like marriage licenses, hunting licenses, business licenses and plumber licenses...

Read more here: http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/12/01/opinion/daily_editorial/081201editorial.txt

Steps to Perform a Public Records Check