Targeted Search Engine–iSEEK

  This is a new search engine that has interesting possibilities iSEEK.

You can search terms, phrases or ask questions and results come in. On the left side of the screen there are links targeted information about your search.  Check this out and add to your list of search engines.

iSEEK says on its site:
“iSEEK analyzes your search results each time you do a query, identifying themes, topics, and more and organizing your results for you. Rather than wading through a mini-web of thousands of results, one by one, in some indiscernible order, you are guided to a specific set of relevant results with

Discover New and Useful Information with Intelligent

iSEEK brings results to life, letting them tell you what they are about. Analyzing every set of results on-the-fly, draw out topics, people, places, dates, and more from your results. You discover new facts and connections before even clicking a link.

Make Searching Simpler with Natural Language Queries.

In iSEEK, you can use natural language to do your searches. Instead of relying on keyword pattern matching and algorithms, iSEEK knows the meaning and concepts embedded in the questions you ask, so it understandswhat you are asking and retrieves relevant information. No more strategically selecting keywords then adding to them, revising them, and requerying them to get the results you want - simply ask questions and get answers.

With iSEEK Searchblades, you can cut through the riffraff when you are seeking high-quality, focused results. iSEEK’s expanding selection of Searchblades enables you to search within a professional field or domain of knowledge to find information that is reputable and authoritative in that area of expertise. More than mere collections of hand-picked sites, identify and search through relevant, trustworthy sources to bring you results that matter.”

Bill Lowrance
President PIAVA

Virginia Supreme Court Restricts Access To Court Records

  Recently (March 18, 2008), the Virginia Judicial Council sent a report to the Virginia Supreme Court on a proposed, formal set of Rules of Evidence and on proposed changes to Part Nine to the Supreme Court Rules that would regulate access to public court records. 

Virginia and Massachusetts are the only two states that do not have a formal evidence code.  According to the Virginia Lawyers Weekly, VLW Blog, Click Here, the new evidence code would be similar to the Federal Rules of Evidence, but would adopt most rule language from Virginia case law.  Read the proposed rules Click Here.

Proposed changes to Part Nine of the Supreme Court Rules address concerns of personal and private information being accessible in court records.  The proposed rule provides for sealing of court records, procedures to unseal records and limiting personal information in filings with the court.  Read the proposed changes Click Here

We initially wrote about this in a previous post last year Click Here.   While the Virginia Supreme Court did not act upon the first set of proposed rule changes for access to court records, the Court is considering the Judicial Council’s most recent set of proposed rules for access to public court records.  Chief Justice Leroy Rountree Hassell Sr. told the council that he expects the court to take some time before acting on the proposed rules.  Hopefully, the Supreme Court will consider public comments on the proposed rules.  We shall see.

Access to public court records is important to the legal and professional investigation industry.  Private investigators work for the public, businesses, law firms and attorneys.  In all cases, whether involving fraud, litigation, criminal trials or business due diligence, private investigators must be able to identify, verify and locate individuals referenced in public records.  Without the ability to gather this information, many investigations will fail or the costs will increase so that the public and others cannot afford to prepare their case or conduct due diligence or complete fraud investigations. 

Bill Lowrance

President PIAVA