Why West Virginia Court Records are Available to the Public In 1992, the West Virginia State Legislature passed a law named the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This law enabled the last changes in 2001 and aims to make sure disclosure of court records and other public records to the public. What Court Records Access Means To You? The law is similar to the West Virginia Open Meeting Law which legislates the methods by which public meetings are held. The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act intent is that all records maintained by state and local government entities be available for public access and copying. Accountability to the Public When the legislature enacted West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, it expressively declared that access to information about the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state, §29B-1-1. Declaration of policy. Indeed, in West Virginia, access to the government and court records, in particular, a fundamental interest in citizenship and has emphasized that maxim disclosure of the conduct of governmental operations act. By promoting prompt public access to government records, the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act is to safeguard the government's accountability to the public. How the West Virginia Court Process Functions? Most cases in West Virginia courts begin in one of the 55 superior or trial courts in the state’s 55 counties. The next level of judicial authority resides with the Court of Appeals. Most cases before the Court of Appeals involves the review of a superior court decision being contested by a party involved in the case. The Supreme Court of Appeal serves as the highest court in the state and has the discretion to check decisions of the Court of Appeals to settle important questions of law and to resolve conflicts among the Court of Appeals. Some differences between Civil Court and Small Claims Court below