The U.S. military’s highest court sidestepped the issue of access to court documents in the trail of Pfc. Bradley Manning accused of espionage in releasing top secret information to WikiLeaks. A majority of the judges ruled that the court did not have the authority to rule on the matter. (Associated Press, April 17, 2013, by Jessica Gresko)
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press issued a press release urging Congress to step up to make the military court system more transparent and open to the public. Access to military court records has fallen under the Freedom of Information Act rather than the First Amendment, making it difficult to obtain information. (RCFOP, April 17, 2013)
The attorney for a group of journalists seeking access said that blocking the scrutiny of the media will affect the chances for justice in the case, “Bradley Manning’s trial will now take place under conditions where journalists and the public will be unable as a practical matter to follow what is going on in the courtroom. That ensures that any verdict will be fundamentally unfair, and will generate needless appeals afterwards if he is convicted.” (RCFOP, April 17, 2013, by Rob Tricchinelli) -db