Court records bill introduced in California

A bill introduced today in the California Assembly aims to reduce delays in court records battles.

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) introduced Assembly bill 2379 at about noon today. The bill aims to eliminate appeals of orders to unseal court records that were improperly sealed in favor of quicker writ review, according to a California Newspapers Publishers Association’s newsletter. The bill would also help those who did succeed in unsealing records to recover legal fees.

“We hope that the bill will greatly reduce the amount of time that court record disputes take,” said Tom Newton, general counsel for the association, “so the information can be put into the hands of the public while it’s still newsworthy.”