Secrecy move stirs discord

No, it wasn't the Nichols who helped build the Oklahoma City bomb. It was a different guy, who, according to court records, was born in the same year but on a different date.

Richard Nixon has a protection order against him in Oklahoma County. No, it's not the dead former president. The Nixon with the order against him is much younger, according to court records.

Those are two examples of how details in court records are important to verifying identity.

Journalists consider birth dates from court records key information to assure accuracy in their work. So do private investigators, lawyers and law enforcement officers.

Businesses use the personal information in court records to screen potential employees. And those into the dating scene check out potential suitors before the first kisses.

That all could change once new Supreme Court rules go into effect barring certain personal information such as birth dates from court records.