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While every proceeding of the court is not recorded, most definitely are, especially when a full-blown trial has taken place in the presence of two lawyers locked in battle between each other for the life, money and reputation of their clients. As much as the people involved would like to keep these records for themselves, they simply can’t: court records have made to the top of the list of the public records, and it is legal to run a website or a blog that gives updates on them.
If a particular proceeding is recorded, it is, in the language of law, said to be conducted in a court of record. On the other hand, in certain simple cases where a lawyer is not required, people can go to the judge by themselves. In such cases, the proceedings are not recorded.
Court records are highly public. The significance of the records, in the first place, is the importance of the case leading to the need of lawyers: it shows the importance of lawyers. Secondly, these records are made public because they should be: if crime is public, so is its absolution. It is something that we all know and understand that a trial in a neighborhood never goes hidden; everyone knows about it, everyone whispers about it and everyone anticipates for the decision. Court records, therefore, make crime and punishment public for the purpose of educating the people.
Furthermore, the law is a sensitive issue; a record of it must be made. Court records are required by the government as a source of information for anyone it wishes to look into. They are important if your lawyer decides to use them against the other party. They are important if you wish to demonstrate that someone was innocent or someone was guilty and has a proclivity for crimes. Looking into the history of people gives certain background dirt that either helps you or defeats the other party. Most importantly, however, is their importance when they are looking by employment agencies. Most agencies will not mind having you in their midst if you went on a trial and came out clean; however, if you did some serious crime, they might show their reservations. Court records are a perfect example of the fact that history never leaves you; if you made a mistake regarding the law, it will show on the records; if you are criminally minded, it will accompany you like a taboo for the rest of your life.