Amicus

The sealing of court records and proceedings in an Ohio corruption case was not only unconstitutional, but also unnecessary to ensure defendants receive a fair trial, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press argued in a friend-of-the-court brief filed today with the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and six news industry associations have filed a friend-of-the-court brief challenging the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, arguing that it is so broad that it inhibits the basic right to gather information.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press today urged a federal appeals court to review the automatic sealing of records in a legal battle between Internet search engine Google and the language-education company Rosetta Stone.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a challenge to a Virginia statute that limits access to state and local public records to Virginia residents.

Joined by 21 news media companies and journalism organizations, the Reporters Committee brief argues the statute is unconstitutional because it discriminates between Virginia citizens and everybody else, creating a substantial burden on the rights of journalists.

Noting that even the most repugnant speech must be afforded the same protection as any other statement, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was pleased by today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a church’s First Amendment right to protest near military funerals.