Comments to Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary re. Senate Bill 785

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would impose criminal charges against members of the media and others who, in connection with any criminal proceeding, disclose documents that divulge information about a child involved in the proceeding, regardless of the source of such documents or information. The bill requires all documents that include such information to be filed under seal, without court order, with a redacted version made publicly available. The Reporters Committee, joined by the Digital Media Law Project, Dow Jones Local Media Group, Inc., and the New England First Amendment Coalition, argued that the bill, Senate Bill 785, goes too far by seemingly prohibiting the publication of all information about all child witnesses in all criminal proceedings.

Comments to Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary re. Senate Bill 785