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By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER; Times Leader Staff Writer
Friday, November 21, 1997     Page: 3A

WILKES-BARRE- Criminal record histories of people charged in Luzerne County
Court of Common Pleas would be available to computer users at home or in the
office under an on-line service being considered by the Clerk of Courts
Office.
   
Infosafe Systems of New York recently contacted court officials about the
system, which, through the Internet, would allow access to the thousands of
files kept in the clerk’s office.
    The system would be paid for by individual users and would not cost the
county anything, said Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly.
   
The service would be most beneficial to attorneys and others, such as the
media, who routinely do research, Reilly said. The research could be done at
the office, rather than by sending a person to the courthouse.
   
“This is the wave of the future, no doubt about it,” Reilly said. “The
catch for me is the fact there’s no cost to the county.”
   
The system could also be expanded to include other offices, including the
Recorder of Deeds, Tax Claim Bureau and Prothonotary’s office, which handles
all civil lawsuits, said Bill Harvey, a vice president with Infosafe.
   
The company will present a demonstration of the system at the courthouse on
Dec. 3. Reilly scheduled the meeting to gauge interest in the proposal.
   
Harvey said Infosafe needs at least 100 people to show a serious interest
in the project for it to be financially feasible. He said it’s premature to
say what the user fees would be, but the company would offer a variety of
packages to meet varying usage needs.
   
People interested in attending the demonstration must reserve a spot by
Nov. 28 by calling the Clerk of Courts office at 825-1583.