How to Remove Records from Case. Net

If you live in Missouri and are concerned about your online privacy, you may be interested in knowing how to remove your records from Case.net. 

In this guide, we’ll go over what Case.net is and the steps you can take to protect yourself. 

What Is Case.net? 

Case.net is a public online service that allows you to look up information about court cases in Missouri. It does not provide information about court cases in other states, meaning only cases filed in Missouri are searchable. 

While Case.net was initially launched in the 1990s to allow registered e-filing users to access its records, that changed in July 2023 when the state expanded access to Case.net to the public. 

How to Remove Records from Case.net

Unfortunately, there’s no standard process for removing your records from Case.net. This is because Case.net is a directory of public judicial records, and public records can’t typically be removed. 

The only exception is if the case can be expunged, in which case the record will be removed from Case.net when the expungement order is issued. You can find out what offenses are eligible for expungement at Clear My Record Missouri.

If the record is a complaint that has since been satisfied, such as for nonpayment to a landlord, you can petition the court (or get your attorney to do so) for a satisfaction of judgment. If the court agrees, the satisfaction of judgment will also show up on Case.net along with other details of the record. It may not be as conclusive as expungement, but at least those who find the record will be able to see that you did your part to resolve the situation. 

What Personal Information Is Visible On Case.net? 

If you’re curious about what data someone can see when they find your record on Case.net, the information can be substantial. Records generally include information on the case, judge, and verdict. They can also include the names of each party, addresses, and even birth years. 

In 2023, it was also discovered that some documents on Case.net included Social Security numbers and other sensitive information that anyone could access, with thousands of residents compromised. 

This situation underscores the importance of attorneys redacting confidential information – which is all the more important now due to the expanded remote public access of Case.net.

Where Else Are Your Court Records Visible?

Government databases are far from the only place your court records may be showing up. 

Data brokers and people search sites also download and maintain separate databases of court records. Data brokers are companies that scrape the internet for public information on individuals before selling it to third parties as part of a packaged profile. 

For example, the data broker Spokeo lets you search for criminal records.

This is a problem as data brokers are notorious for listing inaccurate or no longer accurate data, which can lead to diminished opportunities if someone searches for you through the data broker and comes across a faulty record.

Among the common types of incorrect information found on data broker websites are:

• Incorrectly associated criminal reports (from a person with a similar name, for instance).
• Incorrectly categorized crimes (such as indication of a felony crime when it was a misdemeanor).
• Incomplete records that fail to show how a court case developed.
• Expunged or sealed records that should not be available to the public.
• Listing every individual charge related to a single offense as separate incidents. 

Fortunately, you can opt out of data brokers. Doing so will remove your personal information (including potential criminal reports) from their databases. 

Unfortunately, data brokers reactivate profiles once new information is found online, meaning you will need to repeat the opt-out process whenever that occurs. 

Alternatively, you can subscribe to a data broker removal service such as DeleteMe to have privacy experts continuously opt you out of brokers on your behalf. 

Reduce Your Digital Footprint 

Every data broker you opt out of will reduce your digital footprint, which means there will be less information about you online. 

Even if you can’t remove your records from Case.net, removing your information from data brokers can help improve your privacy and reduce the likelihood that someone will find information about you – whether it’s accurate or not.