Neat. I'll add this to my sources on case law -- another one I've come across is https://case.law/ Per my close friend, the value of these (or, why people subscribe to LexisNexis) isn't solely the texts, but the cross referencing. It would be really cool to see that get implemented (and no doubt a non-trivial problem!). How do you source your case inputs, as it is bigger than PACER?
Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
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Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#242Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#243Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#244Earlier quoted context omitted.
That would be more of a problem with the legal system, not this search page.
That's not true. Court records used to be accessible in person only. You would have to be motivated to find anything. This puts everyone's past and often forgotten transgressions on display. This might look cool or even useful to some, but it's straight up immoral.
Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#245Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This is just providing a free, unified interface with a fast search index. Yes, and that is a phase change difference. It's not a trivial enhancement.
So you think the $10/month fee for existing services is what induced the phase change? I've done hundreds of these searches, paid maybe $20 total. I have a different theory about why this bugs you... Previous to today, you were ignorant of that these records were available online so cheaply and quickly. Nothing has really changed, except your own anxiety levels as your worldview struggles to absorb this information.…
Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
Great point. It's extremely difficult to represent yourself pro se if you don't have access to information about how cases like yours might unfold, arguments that have been used, how well those arguments have worked, how the cases have been decided, whether a company has settled a similar case as yours, and so on.
Is that really a bad thing? Nobody should be representing themselves because they have no idea beyond Law and Order what all is supposed to be happening around them. That's why you get a complementary attorney if you can't afford one. It's just too important to risk no? Like DIY surgery. It's quite expensive and impenetrable to be doing your own appendectomy and I'm not mad about that. In both cases you could if you…
Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#247Earlier quoted context omitted.
Our legal system is built on case law. Reading the law as it was passed is not enough - one must consult rulings in the relevant jurisdiction for precedence. I think the benefits of making this type of information widely available outweighs the potential downsides.
What does that have to do with listing the calendar calls of 25 year old divorce proceedings
Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a possibility that there aren't any great solutions for currently. Can you message me on reddit with the link to check?
I tried you hn handle on Reddit it says user does not exist.
Re: Show HN: Full text search on 630M US court cases
#249A lot of commentators are missing the point. Caselaw is what lawyers rely on to determine what the law is. For years, there was a monopoly, the privately-held West Corporation in Minnesota. In the 1970s, the field became a duopoly, with the advent of Lexis. West eventually sold out to Thompson, the company is now Thompson-West. Computer-assisted legal research was extremely expensive. The Air Force set up FLITE, but…