Pretrial secrecy

The judge presiding over the fatal Colorado movie theater shooting case granted the release of about three dozen relevant court documents on Monday, but kept many of the records under seal.

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a federal law that prevents journalists from reporting on evidence presented at bail hearings.

In an 8-1 decision issued on June 10, 2010, the court rejected a constitutional challenge brought by multiple media organizations, including U.S.-based The Associated Press, to a section of the Canadian Criminal Code that states a judge must order a publication ban for a bail hearing if a defendant requests it.

Four experienced journalists have been banned from reporting on the military commission proceedings at Guantanamo Bay because they published the name of a witness that was already in the public record, ABC News reported.

An Ohio judge told the state Supreme Court on Monday that his decision in January to temporarily ban media coverage on a manslaughter trial was made to ensure that an unbiased jury was seated for the second defendant in the case, The Toledo Blade reported.

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has temporarily blocked the release of sealed court documents in the government's case against Blackwater security guards charged with killing Iraqi civilians, The BLT reported.

The federal judge who dismissed murder charges against Blackwater security guards after a closed hearing on whether evidence against them was tainted will release redacted transcripts of those hearings, according to The BLT.

The Washington Post had asked the court to release the transcripts last week.

In a continuing effort to shroud the R. Kelly trial in secrecy, a judge and courtroom personnel last week kept the media from entering court at the start of the jury selection process, when the parties were being introduced to the jury pool and the indictment, reportedly under seal since 2002, was read.