There is palpable danger that variations of the described scenario will happen all over the country, but not with the bricks and mortar of the courthouse. Instead it is with the crown jewels of the judicial branch, the docket itself. The debate concerns electronic filing, which is coming with certainty. The issue is whether to graft a meter on the public docket so those accessing records via an Internet browser will pay for the right of access, and thereby finance the system. The administration of justice depends on public trust.
Public trust depends on sunshine.
The more people see and know about judicial process, the more secure is the process itself. The debate over how to finance electronic filing directly impacts the amount of sunshine that will reach the public docket. Follow the money to determine the amount of light that gets through. If electronic filing is going to save all the money vendors proclaim, and it probably will, why should greedy vendors be allowed to graft a revenue-generating meter on the public docket. Electronic filing should be initially financed by legislative appropriation, something typical of a capital expenditure.