Overview of Jacob Wetterling Case and Minnesota Data Practices Act

Minnesota Data Practices Act Paper
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Minnesota Data Practices Act Paper
Overview of Jacob Wetterling Case
On October 22, 1989, a eleven years old boy named Jacob Wetterling was abducted in the streets of St. Joseph, Minnesota. At around 9 p.m, Jacob was on his way returning from a nearby store accompanied by his younger brother (Trevor) and friend (Aaron). A man in black clothing and a mask, wielding a handgun, stepped up on their way and ordered the boys to place their bikes in a ditch and lie on the ground. After questioning the boys about their ages, the assailant ordered Trevor and Aaron to run or else he would shoot them. In these circumstances, Jacob was kidnapped, and it would later be established that he was sexually assaulted and murdered (van Nevel & Bayless, 2016). Jacob’s fate remained a mystery for nearly three decades until authorities identified his remains in September 2016, leading to the conviction and sentencing of Danny Heinrich.
Overview of the Minnesota Data Practices Act
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (hereafter the Act), initially established in 1974 – constitutes a dynamic statute inclined to create an equilibrium between the twofold policy goals of data privacy and government transparency. The Act manages any government data gathered, developed, received, shared, maintained, or stored by public entities (including statewide systems, state agencies, or political subdivisions), irrespective of the data media, conditions surrounding its utilization, or physical form (Gehring, 2010). Amid the increased transparency among law enforcement agencies, section 13.43 of the Act addresses personal data and prohibits the sharing of a significant deal of police-compliant information. Even when the ramifications are unintentional, the Act substantially controls what can be put in the public domain regarding police interactions, making discussions about reform increasingly challenging (Jaafar & Patrick, 2020).
Wetterling’s Original Objection to the Release of Information
Jacob’s parents, Jerry and Patty Wetterling, initially objected to releasing case files related to their son’s abduction and murder. The parents sought Court’s intervention citing privacy concerns in some...