[or-roots] Jackson county's archivist retired

[Leslie Chapman]

Bob;

If they have cut off all access to records by anyone there is no question
they are breaking the law, if I am a Jackson county property owner and they
tell me I can't access old survey or deed records for my property I would be
taking them to court in a hot flash.

Now if I go to Jackson county to try and track down where Great Grandpa
Melvin was living in the 1860 Census to see if the building still exists,
they might legally be able to deny me access to the relevant information.

The gray area here would be things like marriage and divorce, adoption and
that sort of thing; as a descendant I might feel entitled to those records,
but the county might be able to make a case for the "privacy" of such
records.

I think in point of fact the only information they can deny you access to is
spelled out in the law, no death records less than fifty years old, no birth
less than 100, I am not sure if they draw a line in law for marriage, I know
I wasn't paying attention to dates when shotgunnig one of my surnames of
interest and ended up with the marriage cert for the parents of one of my
live-in-nephew's good friends.

I guess the long and short of it is that somebody with an interest in
Jackson County information needs to hit them with a FOI suit and show them
where they erred.

Les C


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert L Casebeer
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 11:54 PM

To Leslie Chapman and others.  Regarding public archives.
Jackson county's archivist retired, and the present county commissioners,
gave the care of the public records to a private company, as I understand,
and all access to the records either in person or on line are forbidden.
Great political act...probably in violation of the public information act.

Bob Casebeer, Talent

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