The Internet and Google Searches

In a recent civil law case from Indiana, the defendant's claim was upheld and the court cited the lack of a Google search as proof that the plaintiff did not sufficiently attempt to locate the defendant. Since the Court back in 1950 (Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank and Trust Co) stated that due process requires notification and the opportunity for a hearing when one's life, liberty, or property will be adjudicated, locating the individual in order to notify that person involves due process and "due diligence."

The Indiana appeals court in Munster v. Groce (2005) said that since a Google search done by the court had provided an address and other leads to locating the defendant, plaintiff had not been diligent in his attempt to find the defendant in order to provide notice.

You can read the entire case by using the Academic Universe (Lexis-Nexis) database that is available to all UTA students. (library.uta.edu)