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Public oversight needed for juvenile justice

donal brown August 18, 2009

The juvenile justice system has improved from a paternalistic system with little regard for the Consitutional rights of the children, but, writes journalist Kathleen Cullinan, the children could benefit from opening juvenile courts to public scrutiny. -DB The News Media & The Law Commentary Summer 2009 By Kathleen Cullinan Compared with the rest of the American judicial system, juvenile courts operate under water, beneath varying layers of secrecy. It is that way largely because it always

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Prominent retired judge urges bar association lawyers to stop filing court documents under seal

donal brown August 3, 2009

Retired federal judge, congressman and White House counsel Abner Mikva says too many lawyers routinely file court documents under seal without compelling public policy reason as justification. -DB Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press July 31, 2009 By Rory Eastburg Abner Mikva – retired federal judge, congressman, and White House counsel – urged lawyers at the American Bar Association convention to stop routinely filing court documents under seal, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. “You civil lawyers

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New York: Journalists among those blocked from bringing electronic devices into federal court

donal brown July 28, 2009

A New York committee is expected to develop a policy placing severe restrictions on electronic devices in the federal court building, except, of course, those belonging to attorneys. -DB Citizen Media Law Project July 27, 2009 By Eric P. Robinson Attorneys in New York are hot and heavy (or should that be a-Twitter?) over rules being drafted by the Southern District of New York’s Ad Hoc Committee on Cell Phones that may place severe restrictions on

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Federal judge closes civil trial over prison killing

donal brown July 27, 2009

Constitutional lawyers are saying that when a Los Angeles federal judge closed a two-day trial in the 2005 prison killing of a Jewish Defense League activist, he was likely to have violated the First Amendment. -DB Los Angeles Times July 24, 2009 By Carol J. Williams A Los Angeles federal judge took the highly unusual step of closing a two-day trial this week in a case involving the 2005 prison killing of Jewish Defense League activist

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Sotomayor indicates support for cameras in Supreme Court

donal brown July 20, 2009

In Senate confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor said she favored camera access in the high court but said should she be confirmed she would act with circumspection in making her views known to the Court. -DB First Amendment Center Analysis July 16, 2009 By Tony Mauro WASHINGTON, D.C. — If the Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor as the next justice on the Supreme Court, she may become the most unabashed supporter of camera access the

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