Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Rodriguez
Case Number: CP-38-CR-430-2023
Court: Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas
Clients: LebTown, PennLive, LNP Media Group, WITF
Background: In March 2023, Air National Guard member Veronika Rodriguez was charged with falsely reporting a sexual assault and unlawfully recording the alleged incident on her cell phone. The prosecution of Rodriguez has resulted in extensive media coverage.
As the case worked its way through pre-trial proceedings, the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas issued several “gag” orders restricting the parties and witnesses from communicating with anyone, including members of the news media, about the case. The gag orders forced journalists to rely exclusively on observing court proceedings and scrutinizing the public docket to inform their reporting on the case.
However, the docket shows that several entries have been sealed by the court without an accompanying sealing order, including one entry filed by the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office, one filed by the judge, and another filed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
On the same day Rodriguez’s trial began, Reporters Committee Local Legal Initiative Attorney Paula Knudsen Burke filed a motion to intervene and unseal the three docket entries and judicial records on behalf of four Pennsylvania news organizations: LebTown, PennLive, LNP Media Group, and WITF. The motion argues that the news outlets have a right to access the sealed court records under the First Amendment and the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Updates:
- On May 19, 2025, the court denied the news outlets’ motion to intervene and unseal the sealed court records.
- On May 19, 2025, the news outlets filed a notice of appeal to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Filings:
2025-05-19: Motion to intervene and unseal
2025-05-19: Order
2025-05-19: Notice of appeal