I’ve previously mentioned the research service, Google Answers, a low cost public Internet exchange in which researchers bid to respond to questions. The questions, answers and the fee paid are all posted. A few weeks ago someone parted with $15 for a lengthy, detailed and link laden response to the query, Can employers access the NCIC database?

The Louisiana governor signed HB 1103, a motor vehicle and driver license personal information opt-out for law enforcement. The law, which goes into effect August 2006, offers the option to law enforcement, court officers, their family members and other adults living in their home to withhold the release of personal information on drivers license and motor vehicle to to a third party.

The Wisconsin Ethics Board has an online database indexing financial disclosures submitted by government office holders. The site, Eye On Financial Relationships of State Public Officials, associates the individual filer with the funder. The actual statements are not online.

You can use this index to learn the financial relationships reported by officials associated with each state agency, board, and commission and each committee of the legislature. You can also discover the officials who have identified a financial relationship to a specific business or organization. This index will help you determine if you want to look at the economic interest statement filed by a specific official.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinstitutes the death penalty in Kansas. Read the Kansas attorney general’s press release and listen to his press conference.

The United States Supreme Court today reversed a December 2004 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court and ruled that the Kansas death penalty statute is constitutional.

In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that a state may constitutionally require the death penalty if mitigating and aggravating factors are in equal balance.

On December 17, 2004, the Kansas Supreme Court, on a 4-3 vote, struck down the state’s death penalty statute. Attorney General Kline immediately filed a motion to stay the ruling and indicated his intention to seek a reversal of the state court’s decision by the United States Supreme Court. On December 20, 2004, the Kansas Supreme Court granted that stay.

The North Middleton, Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Stoppers Wanted database lists crime reports with photos, organized by date.

This site lists the links to each state legislative Web site with a description and evaluation of the free bill tracking each state offers.

ePodunk is a commercial site of geographical place information drawn from government generated and commercial sources. A search by state and current or historical place name returns a large collection of links to local information, resources and statistics. Identify cemeteries, newspapers, companies, government offices and organizations, and data demographics.

Find a private or public school, college or library at the National Center for Education Statistics, searching by name of school, city or zip code. Add a radius range of 1 to 50 miles to get other area institutions.

The Beaufort County criminal and civil case index is online, searchable by personal or business name. Criminal cases return date of birth and defendant address.

From Atlanta to Australia, Lady PI’s Insure You Get “Busted”

In a world where everyone tries to find a niche business opportunity, the lady private investigators of “Busted” have become internationally recognized as the all-female private eye agency based out of Marietta, Georgia metro area.

Stacy Fandos, a former airline stewardess, is the latest Busted recruit working on a case in Australia. The 41 year old mother of three doesn’t look like a typical private investigator, yet she is amongst a fast growing trend in female PI’s.

Busted was the brain child of Jeanene Weiner, 43, a mother of two. While it wasn’t her intention to start an all-woman investigative agency, it soon became obvious that her clients found it to be extremely beneficial.

“While there are no formal statistics as to the exact number of female investigators in the United States, there has been has been an obvious increase of women entering the investigative profession,” states Jimmie Mesis the Editor-in-Chief of PI Magazine. “I would estimate that women represent approximately 15% of all the private investigators in the US.”