On May 28, 2025, the News/Media Alliance joined an amicus brief, led by RCFP, in CNS v. Omundson in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief, available here, highlighted the importance of a publisher’s right to prompt access to complaints filed in Idaho state court, to ensure the public learns about important cases while they are still newsworthy.
The brief urges the Ninth Circuit Court to uphold the District Court’s order enjoining the Defendant-Appellant’s from imposing its policy of automatic delays on public access to nonconfidential civil complaints during its review and pre-acceptance period, as these delays violate CNS’s First Amendment rights. The brief noted that a complaint filed with a court is considered a “judicial document” that is accessible under the First Amendment rights as soon as it is filed, even if the clerk has not yet accepted it. It further argued that budgetary or administrative issues do not exempt lower courts from the requirement to provide timely public access to court filings during pre-review periods.
