On July 12, the News/Media Alliance joined an amicus brief by the Reporters Committee arguing for access to court records. In Courthouse News Service v. Gabel, Courthouse News Service challenged Vermont court rules that required all electronically filed civil complaints to go through an administrative review process before the public could access them. The lower court found for Courthouse News, holding that the administrative review violated the public’s First Amendment right of access to court records and was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest. The Vermont court administrators appealed the case to the Second Circuit, where the Reporters Committee submitted its amicus brief in support of Courthouse News Service. The Alliance continues to advocate for strong open records laws—free from governmental restrictions. Read more.
Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
