King George County supervisors decided to pull the plug on part of the Circuit Court clerk's Web site last night.

The decision to delete land records and court records is the board's way of forcing the clerk to remove information that supervisors think could invite identity theft. The records will still be available at the courthouse.

The information will be back online, supervisors say, as soon as legislation is passed giving clerks the authority to alter records to keep information such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, birthplaces, signatures and mothers' maiden names private.

"This gives us time," said Supervisor Joe Grzeika. "As soon as we get some clarity and want to go back and re-enable the Web site we can. But I think it's important to do some calming now."

King George is one of five localities in Virginia that post court records and land records on the Internet.

Many individuals, including ACLU Executive Director Kent Willis, have objected to this practice because they fear the private information contained in court records could aid identity thieves.

King George Circuit Clerk Vic Mason agreed some of the information posted online could pose a problem. But he said Internet access to the information is extremely helpful to people who need it for legitimate purposes.

Mason said altering the records by deleting private information is against the law. He also said that he could not take the Web site down because he had accepted a $35,000 grant from the state Rapid Innovation Fund. One of the grant requirements was that the money be used to put the information online.

Mason said he is working with state officials to come up with a more reasonable way to post records online, but he has refused to change his practices until the state directs him to do so.

"The state needs to have a clean-cut focus to tell us exactly what we need to have on," he said.

Supervisors also said they may write a letter to the state agency that funds the Rapid Innovation Grant in the hopes that state officials will ease the requirement to post records online.

In other business last night, the supervisors unanimously appointed John Hogan to serve the final two years of Dahlgren Supervisor Steve Wolfe's term. Wolfe resigned last month to take a job with the Virginia Resources Authority.

Hogan is a wireless telecommunications developer and a member of the King George Board of Zoning Appeals. The Dahlgren seat will be up for election in November 2003.