warm, the deletion of your post is news to me. I didn't think so much that it was dumpable but more that it was just dumb. I didn't suggest the removal. But I do suggest that you be more polite.

It is you who is disoriented here. Instead of insulting me, why don't you at least address the ancillary issue of B'moon as she relates to the story? Maybe you don't know anything about her. Well I do; so you should listen and learn.

The disability is yours. Speak to the point of the story.

I think the JPD and the BPD missed out on a few good men and women...seems there are alot of people on here who missed their calling. :)

JPD thats a great idea,to bad BPD doesn't do the same thing.BDN has a blotter once in a while theirs an arrest or break in, but for the most Beloit is crime free ya right BDN is to lazy to walk across the street or call on the phone to find out.and most people are GUILTY so deal with it Mr Encyclopedia .

Jvlhomeowner, your story would have a powerful effect on me if I believed it.

Let's see: if he had the loyalty of a friend like you, he must have had other such friends, right? Everyone he knew and everyone who lived near him must have believed he was out of town at the time, right? Yet, you said everyone called him a child molester, right? And there was no successful effort to get the paper to make a front page correction to the matter, right?

What would you say to this story?:

A child was molested by a neighbor who was recently arrested for a previous act of child molestation. The parents would have taken protective measures but did not because there was no public notice of the above mentioned arrest.

If you look at the case numbers in here they are duplicated and more as to addresses. ! charge and 4 postings as to the case citation number in at least 1 of them some had 2 or more addresses and it is stated multiple times for same case for each addy.

Even when you are found innocent it remains in you court records on ccap. If you are not guilty it should be removed from the records. If you would just look at the page with court charges and not go into the actual case and see what was the result of it, some people would be labeled criminals and actually be cleared of the charge.

Gazette Fan wrote :Rummage......, if someone was ARRESTED for child molestation near your home, wouldn't you want to know it?
I have a friend who was arrested, but then cleared of the charge. His name was posted in the town paper on page one, his clearing...page 12 in the local record section. Everybody still calls him a child molester, even tho he proved he was not even in town on the day in question. He lost his job and had to leave town due to that. I believe you SHOULD BE ANNOMYOUS until proven guilty.

My disorderly conduct was dismissed and rightfully so. " I hate rude behaviour in a man, won't tolerate it"...Woodrow F. Call

This will also make it easier for other agencies to use this system to reconcile their records (sec.8 etc) and to police people who violate rules attached to govt. assistance. There is not a link to govt. agency computer systems with the police department.

I too believe that they should only post convictions (including plea deals), as I doubt highly there will be a post of the overturned arrests.

Additionally I find it interesting the JPD is using an evaluation version of the software to create the list rather than the commercial version, perhaps Win2PDF makes an exception for government agencies.

I think it's a good idea. People that dont agree with it are probably the ones breaking the law. I'm sure the 4th ward and look west neighborhood requested it because there are still a lot of good people that live in those areas, and they'd like to know whats going on in their neighborhood, and who to avoid. This goes for everyone tho, cuz we all know there can be bad people in every neighborhood

Okay, I'm blonde so maybe I'm not seeing the difference between this and Ccap? Aren't arrests already read in to the cases? Whether they're charged or not?
Another question in the public records it lists one or two arrests everyday, who decides whether it's listed in the paper or not? After viewing that site there is certainly more than one or two arrests made a day.

GAZETTEFAN, I am not saying I don't read public records, and form my opinions from them, and of course I would want to know about a child molester arrest. I am just saying that sometimes there are arrests made that are easily confused with the truth. DDI arrests, molest arrests, drug arrests, theft arrests, all those arrests that actually 'caught in the act' arrests are usually black and white. I am just saying that some people put to much truth upon the mere fact that someone was arrested means they are guilty. I along with others LOVE reading the public records. I am not saying I am above that at all! :) I also love to read those Hollywood rag mags as well!

You keep telling me that plea bargains are popular but that doesn't make them right. As I've said before, plea bargains deny justice, they don't facilitate it. D.A.'s use them to expedite cases through the legal system, not for justice's sake but for the purpose of saving money. Innocent defendants are pressured to accept a deal as if the justice system is a roulette wheel instead of a crucible for determining the truth. So the net result of plea bargains are criminals getting lighter sentences than their actions deserve, and innocents being convicted of crimes they didn’t commit rather than risk a larger penalty. We need to refocus our justice system to actually seek justice and not just to process the accused.

billnewbie, over 90% of criminal cases in the United States are concluded with a plea bargain. A plea represents an agreement to accept punishment by the defendant that is acceptable to the prosecution. Usually the plea involves guilt on the most serious charges while others are dismissed, but it always represents assured justice whereas a trial has the possibility of acquittal.
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Walker, many residents of Look West and Fourth Ward are concerned about crime in these neighborhoods, but it is almost impossible to find out what has happened in a police call or to track any outcomes. Last year we had a "party house" across the street that was clearly inhabited by a group of dangerous thugs. It was eventually shut down after eight arrests at the address, but to this day, we only know the name of one of the tenants. Her "guests" are probably still floating around town but we have no idea what their names are.
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ozzman35 and bella, Wisconsin is an open records state. This is governed by statute. Adult arrest records are public, as their publication in the Janesville Gazette for many years shows. The only difference here will be complete list rather than a selection. I can't say how many years it has been since the Gazette published everything! If you want to look at it this way: it's the only way that the public can track a wrongful arrest through the criminal justice system.

With the propensity of our local D.A. to plea bargain, arrest records may be the only accurate way to know what someone really did. Wouldn't we want to know that some pervert in the neighborhood likes to expose himself even though the court record only says "disorderly conduct" or some such negotiated charge? Charges that are dropped or found not guilty at trial are also on the public record. Besides, since arrest records are public anyway, what’s the beef? This just provides easier access to these public records.

Rummage......, if someone was ARRESTED for child molestation near your home, wouldn't you want to know it?

Again, arrest records being public keeps the government from rounding up people in secret.

No system is perfect. What is the alternative to the one that is the subject of this debate?

The idea of "innocent until proven guilty" applies to the legal system, not the court of public opinion. The presumption of innocence is a legal right that attaches to a defendant. It has nothing to do with factual guilt or innocence, and certainly does not apply to those of us who have nothing to do with the criminal justice system. So feel free to voice your opinion - that's another right we have. Just keep in mind that an arrest does not automatically equate to a conviction, and some accused people are in fact innocent!

We are not going to change the legal system using this blog. What part of public record do you paranoid theorist's not understand? All it is, will be a convenient full disclosure...

So much for innocent until proven guilty. There are people who are arrested and then found INNOCENT. This isn't a good idea.

I do agree that arrest records do allow for people to pass undue judgment. For example, say a parent was punishing their child for what ever reason. And spanking was involved (which is still legal in our state, therefore, if used non-corporal, is up to a parent) and the child is a little stinker who knows that a call to 911 will get back at their parent, the parent will 'initially' be charged with child abuse upon arrest, until the case goes to court and is investigated by child services, school behavioral records etc... So, in an incident like this, people could see 'John Doe's' name in the paper for child abuse and immediately place judgment on the person from a general common knowledge definition of child abuse. Not based on the facts that today's children are taught that they can punish their parents easily upon crying wolf. Therefore, I believe it important to take arrest records lightly.

nutty said "Stay out of trouble, and you have nothing to worry about". Wrong. This fallacy has been refuted before. Google it yourself if you don't understand why this is incorrect.

I wish people would remember that the POLICE don't prosecute. They label (ticket) an offense with a "general" description of the crime. They have not been trained in the court system. They have a book of statutes that they go by for arrest by arrest. The prosecution isn't in place until the individual goes to court and the court places an 'actual' charge. If you all remember, you don't pay the officer your fine nor does he sentence you. Therefore, an arrest record is just common public knowledge, not to be taken as a final judgement per se'.

gpawcat - who shot Kennedy?

If the Department will posts arrests, then all arrests need to be posted. No exceptions. Including city, county, State employee's.

They must want to see their names in print.

I know this is going to get a bunch of you going.

nutty, though no system is perfect, yours is good advice.

book9, they are entitled to due process first. And even afterward, the law doesn't provide for your measure.

Next, let's make them wear a letter around their neck - A for adultery and D for drunk, etc.

Another reason arrests etc. are made public is so the public has some idea as to who might be a threat to them and their children and their property. This reason is consistent with why the people of the Fourth Ward and Look West neighborhoods want the site that posts the arrests.

The reason arrests etc. are made a matter of public record is to prevent the government(s) from rounding up people in secret.

I have nothing to worry about....

Hey, WARM, at least try to know what you're talking about. B'moon says things like: "The city placed a cop at Wilson school solely to make the neighborhood look bad and to lower real estate prices."

The fact is, the people of the Fourth Ward wanted that cop there.

B'moon is paranoid. If you side with with her, you are either ignorant or paranoid yourself -or both!

"Moore says the arrest information is already a public record..." Violation of privacy? Why?

I agree with ozzman99. It's ridiculous that everyone's name and address is posted in the paper based on an arrest. Convictions, fine. Arrests, no. Violation of privacy in my opinion.

Why did the residents in the Fourth Ward and Look West neighborhoods request this?

If a lot of the people arrested turnout to be from the Fourth Ward and Look West neighborhoods, you can bet B'moon will claim that the police are posting the arrests only to make those neighborhoods look bad.

But note that it was residents of those neighborhoods who requested the site.

Arent people innocent until proven guilty? Arreest records should not matter only conviction records should.

It is a good deal. However it saddens me to know that many people will pass judgement on those arrested, without knowing the full details of the case.

Great idea!