CINCINNATI – A newspaper reports that judges in some small Ohio college towns seal a larger proportion of criminal records from the public than some courts in larger metro areas where a college represents a smaller segment of the community.

The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/Xi78tBr) analyzed court records in several college towns, including Oxford, Bowling Green, Athens and Kent.

The newspaper compared the number of sealed misdemeanor cases in some individual courts in 2012 with the number of misdemeanor cases completed last year. The Enquirer reported that many of those cases likely include charges such as underage drinking or disorderly conduct, although it is impossible to tell what crimes are involved in sealed cases.

Misdemeanors also can include some levels of theft and domestic violence.