Such tasks include serving legal papers, collecting judgments and evicting tenants.

"We can collect judgments in the United States," Young said.

Garnishments are the means for collecting monetary judgments against a defendant by ordering third parties to pay money directly toward the plaintiff.

The revolution in information technology can also arm David against Goliath, helping ordinary people collect judgments, track deadbeat parents, or uncover political corruption.

It can be hard to collect judgments, however.

Second placement agencies try to collect judgments that so-called first placement agencies have tried and failed to collect.

Cerchiamo collected judgments of relevance from multiple collaborating searchers and used those judgments to create a ranked list of items that were potentially relevant to the information need.

Before these procedures were begun, the city used collection agencies to collect outstanding judgments, dunning debtors and seizing their bank accounts, Sheriff Crimaldi said.

The sheriffs, who are elected in each of the state's eight counties, serve legal papers, guard courthouses and collect judgments.

The 1984 campaign organization owes $1.1 million to various businesses but has no assets, and the creditors thus have no way to collect judgments against it.