On June 11, 2024, Public Justice and the ACLU of Northern California filed a motion to unseal court records and preserve public access to hearings in the class action lawsuit that survivors of sexual assault at FCI Dublin brought against the federal Bureau of Prisons last year.
The media was instrumental in shedding light on the years of rampant sexual abuse inside the prison, and public interest in the ongoing litigation remains high. Yet, with little explanation, the federal district court has granted numerous motions to seal records in the case and many of the motions themselves are under seal, leaving the public and the press in the dark.
Freelance journalist Victoria Law, the First Amendment Coalition, the ACLU of Northern California, and The Appeal, a nonprofit news organization, seek to intervene in the lawsuit to ensure that the public can inspect the court documents and attend future hearings. Public Justice and the ACLU filed the motion in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on their behalf.
Press Release: Advocates, Press Seek Access to Court Records in FCI Dublin Sexual Abuse Lawsuit (6/12/2024)
Legal Documents:
- Intervenors’ Second Reply Regarding Motion to Unseal (8/20/2024)
- Order Granting Motion to Intervene (7/26/20204)
- Order Unsealing Court Records (7/26/20204)
- Government’s Response to Motion to Unseal (6/25/2024)
- Motion to Intervene (6/11/2024)