Do you enjoy my posts pointing and laughing at terrible attorneys?
Do you like news that is sourced from original legal filings?
Do you think the public should have not just the right, but the practical ability, to access public records?
Well, do I have an opportunity for you!
In the U.S. even though (most) federal court records are public documents, it costs money to actually access these documents - 10 cents a page!
This can add up fast when you are talking about legal filings. For example, if you followed along with my recent posts about Sir Clownshoes, his response to the Court's Show Cause order was 112 pages, including exhibits. The reason I was able to make those posts without paying the U.S. government $11 was because of a wonderful site called CourtListener (https://www.courtlistener.com/). They have a browser extension that automatically adds court documents that the user purchases from PACER (the federal site that costs money) to their public site (https://free.law/recap). That way, only one person has to pay $11, instead of everyone single person who wants to point and laugh.
What does this have to do with you?
CourtListener recently launched a new project that allows users to indicate documents that they need/want access to, but cannot pay for themselves, their "Pray and Pay" Project (https://www.courtlistener.com/help/pray-and-pay/)
Anyone can register for a PACER account. (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account/pacer-case-search-only) (You don't need to be an attorney, or even in the U.S.! You do need to give your name, DOB, address, and other contact information, however.) And every three months, you can download up to $30 worth of documents - that is, 300 pages, for free.
That means, you - yes you! - can register for a PACER account, download the RECAP extension, and then, four times a year, help provide researches, litigants, interested parties, and shitposters alike access to public records! All without having to pay a cent!
Alternatively, if you need or want access to a public court document, but don't have the funds/can't make a PACER account for some reason, you can request the document through CourtListener. (You do still need to register with CourtListener, but it requires far less information.)
As of the time of this post, there are 1,007 pending requests for documents. Just 17 people could fulfill all those requests, right now, for free.
(And I know I'm framing this in terms of my silly little posts, but having access to these cases and these documents is actually really, really important to a lot of people. You will absolutely make someone's day by fulfilling a request.)
vaporwave
blakekathryn
kianamaiart
izzy806
germansingergirl
romaincrisis
gummygunk
