Let’s remember who is in charge here.
Over 100 years ago an Ohio Court got it right:
In England the fountain head of justice is the king. In theory at least the courts are his courts, and the government is his government. Whatever power the people have he has granted to them; and if no grant has been made to them to examine the public records, it may well have been in England that they have no such power.
But in this country we proceed upon an entirely different theory of government. Here the people are the fountain head of justice. The courts are their courts; and the government is their government. Whatever power they have not granted to their officials remains with them . . . .
As public records are but the people’s records it would seem necessarily to follow that unless forbidden by a constitution or statute, the right of the people to examine their own records must remain.
Wells v. Lewis, 12 Ohio N.P. 170, 175-176 (Superior Ct 1901).