The Department of Defense released new guidelines for transparency in their court system that fail to provide access required by a 2016 law passed by Congress. The law requires timely release of court records “at all stages of the military justice system…including pretrial, trial, post-trial, and appellate processes.” The guidelines allow the military to avoid releasing records until after a trial ends and to withhold key trial information particularly in the case of a not guilty verdict. (ProPublica, February 1, 2023, by Megan Rose)
It’s defiance as usual despite the ProPublica lawsuit filed in last 2022 to obtain court records of an arson prosecution. In allowing discretion in providing records to the news media and public, the Pentagon is giving permission to delay up to 45 days when the information is of limited interest to the public and of little or no value to the news media. (techdirt, February 21, 2023, by Tim Cushing)